The Sorceress
by Tsuki no Tennyo
Summary: Sess/Kag. AU Serial Snippets. — A mysterious shop promising to grant people's greatest desire appears before Sesshoumaru, but he is more interested in the strange sorceress that runs it.
1. The Shop

**Author's Note:** Because I kind of just wanted Kagome as an eccentric shopkeeper/sorceress kind of like Count D (Pet Shop of Horrors) and Yuko (xxxHolic)? :P This will be a chaptered story, but of varying lengths (meaning: short little snippets, mostly). I mean, my general writing style is already kind of like that anyway. This is just me actually splitting them into chapters instead of clumping it all into a one-shot. We'll see how this goes!

 **Word Count:** 200

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Shop**

* * *

Tucked between two innocuous buildings in bustling Tokyo lay a small shop, which in and of itself was not unusual, but Sesshoumaru could have sworn before today he had never seen it on his daily commute. Today, though, he found the strange shop to be beckoning him forth, and he felt himself inclined to do so.

He entered the mysterious shop, hearing a bell chimed his entrance and smelling immediately incense wafting in his direction. He took in the vast space which should not have been possible. From the outside, it looked like it was roughly about the size of a small apartment, but inside it seemed normal at first glance, but he sensed that it stretched farther than his eyes could see.

He started having second guesses about whether or not this truly was a shop, seeing the décor resembled more like a living space with just various odd items cluttered around. He picked up an antique silver pocket watch left on a side table near the entrance, finding it was engraved with a message: "To my lady".

"Oi!" he heard a male voice called from behind the sheer drapes in the next room, "What's your business here, demon?"


	2. The Assistant

**Author's Note:** I've decided to do a weekly update every Thursday until I'm caught up to the current chapter I'm writing. Let's hope I won't catch up 'cause then that would mean updates will have to slow down!

 **Word Count:** 205

* * *

 **Chapter 2: The Assistant**

* * *

Sesshoumaru froze and he stared at his hands, seeing only normal blunt nails instead of sharp claws. His concealment spell was still in place, so he wondered how it was possible that this person knew he was not human.

"Who are you?" Sesshoumaru demanded, keeping his voice even. His guard was up, prepared for a defensive attack if need be.

Emerging from behind the drapes was a tall, slender male with auburn hair braided just barely past his shoulders. His emerald green eyes twinkled with the same amusement as the smirk that graced his face. "My name is Shippou," he introduced himself, "I assist the Sorceress in her shop."

"The Sorceress?" Sesshoumaru relaxed, seeing the other male was no threat. He noticed several tails behind the figure. "You are a demon, too."

He nodded, one of his tails flicked. "A fox demon," he clarified, proud.

"What is this place?"

"A shop," Shippou answered, further amused when he heard a faint annoyed growl in the back of the other demon's throat, "That specializes in granting wishes."

He stepped forward, grabbed the watch Sesshoumaru was still holding, and placed it back into its spot. "And since you could see this shop, it must mean you desire something."


	3. The Sorceress

**Author's Note:** I'm pleased I managed to mislead some of you with the male voice. I honestly just wanted an excuse to write grown-up!Shippou. Really, this little series is just me indulging in a lot of things, ha.

 **Word Count:** 231

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Sorceress**

* * *

"I desire nothing," Sesshoumaru answered, curt and growing increasingly annoyed with the vague explanations from the fox demon.

"You say that," Shippou started, turning to face Sesshoumaru with solemn eyes, devoid of his earlier amusement, "but this shop does not allow simply anyone to know of its presence unless they have business here."

"The shop just happened to have caught my eyes today."

"It _allowed_ you to see it," Shippou insisted. "Whether you consciously realize it or not, you desire something from her."

"Fox, your stubbornness is starting to annoy me," Sesshoumaru warned.

"Now, now," a female voice cheerfully broke through the sudden tensed air around the two males. "No need for threats of violence, milord."

Sesshoumaru turned to see a beautiful young woman with startling blue eyes entered the room from behind the drapes, dressed in a silk black kimono adorned with red poppies. Her long dark wavy hair bounced as she glided across the room until she stood between the two demons. She touched Shippou's arm for a second, giving him a nod in the other direction, which the fox demon took as his cue to leave after a brief bow.

Once he was out of sight, the woman sighed, "Finding a good assistant is very difficult, I can't have you go exterminating them freely."

She turned to him, and smiled, "Now, how may I help you, Lord Sesshoumaru?"


	4. Names

**Word Count:** 248

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Names**

* * *

He stared at the woman, who he could only presume was this mysterious "Sorceress" Shippou had talked about earlier, with wariness. He had not offer his name or dropped his concealment spell, but she and her assistant seemed to know so much about him already. Their extensive knowledge of him and his lack of information about them disturbed him.

"As I have told that fox, I desire nothing," he told the woman with measured calmness.

She nodded, accepting his words more readily than her assistant did. She walked into the next room, a quiet invitation for Sesshoumaru to follow, and he did. She settled down on a sofa and gestured for him to take a seat next to her. He hesitantly did as well.

"Then what business do you have in my shop, milord?"

"I had none," Sesshoumaru said, ignoring how she addressed him, "but I am interested in how you know so much about me."

"I know everything about those that come into my shop," she explained, her smile never wavering. "I would be happy to share details about myself if it puts your mind at ease."

"Your name then," he demanded, "Sorceress."

She laughed. "Well, I am better known as 'the Sorceress' these days—has a nice ring, wouldn't you say?—but I've also been called the Dream Maker, the Witch, Lady, and who knows what else, but you may call me Kagome."

"Kagome," he repeated, seeing her bright blue eyes sparkling like sunlight on seawater.


	5. Questions

**Word Count:** 208

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Questions**

* * *

Kagome readily answered all questions Sesshoumaru had, but he found that for every response she gave, a new question popped up in its place. She was not doing it on purpose, he realized, but the mysterious nature of her and her shop could not be condensed down to a few simple words.

"Why?" he asked finally after she had finished explaining that her wish-granting came with a price that varied with each individual, along with a short list of exceptions.

"Why what?" she asked, helping herself to the tea and sweets Shippou had left on the coffee table during the discussion for her and Sesshoumaru to partake. She inhaled the beautiful floral scent of jasmine before she took a sip of the warm beverage.

"Why do you offer this service?"

"Because I enjoy seeing the smiles on people's faces," she explained with ease, setting her teacup down on the table.

"You expect me to believe that the wishes you grant are all innocent?"

"Of course not," she answered, picking up a little green tea cake. She took a bite of the tiny morsel. "As I have said, I determine a fair price for the nature of each wish."

"And what is the price?"

"What is the wish, milord?"


	6. Interest

**Word Count:** 115

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Interest**

* * *

"You didn't grant his wish?"

Shippou walked into the room with a lollipop in his mouth, and saw that Kagome was drinking her tea alone. He plopped down on the sofa, laying his head on her lap. She instinctively started stroking his hair, smiling at the fox demon.

"He had no wish, Shippou."

"That's impossible," he retorted, pulling the lollipop out of his mouth to reveal it was lemon-flavored. He pointed it towards her face, causing her to move back, laughing. "Everyone that comes in here has a wish."

"Hm," she hummed softly, "He doesn't know what he desires."

"Do you think he will come back?"

"He is intrigued," she said, "This will be interesting."


	7. Scent

**Word Count:** 241

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Scent**

* * *

It had been three days since Sesshoumaru had left the shop—with no wish-granting service performed—and he found his mind was still occupied by the Sorceress that boasted of the ability to grant people's desires.

She possessed the ability to look into people's hearts and see them for what they truly were. She had enchanted her shop to allow her and her assistant to be able to identify those that have concealed their appearance. She was undoubtedly powerful, using her abilities for benign purposes, but there were still so many things about her that puzzled him—intrigued him.

The most prevalent puzzlement being that she lacked a scent. From the moment she had entered the room, he realized she carried no scent like all creatures should. The fox had an earthy, spicy scent, almost like sandalwood, but she carried no such aroma. Even when he sat close to her, he smelled nothing other than the smoky incense that filled the rooms. He did not know whether she masked her fragrance or she simply did not have one, though he found the latter theory to be on the farfetched side.

He could ask her, and he knew she would answer him as promised, but he found himself wanting to learn more of her on his own observation.

She was a mystery waiting to be unraveled, and he found that tempting thought alone was enough reason to come back to the shop.


	8. Feline

**Word Count:** 100

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Feline**

* * *

Sesshoumaru returned to the shop days later, finding her lounging on the sofa with a little two-tailed feline tucked in her arms, purring quietly to her mistress' soothing caresses.

"Welcome back, milord," she greeted him, not making any movement to straighten up.

"You consort with demons?" he inquired, his eyes lingered on the creature in her arms.

"My companions are demons," she agreed, "This is Kirara, and she's been with me far longer than Shippou has."

"Are you a demon then?"

She laughed, seeming to find some joke buried in his question. She shook her head. "I am not, milord."


	9. Clients

**Word Count:** 100

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Clients**

* * *

"Do you make it a habit to deal with demon clients then?"

"Why do you assume all of my clients are demons, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

He looked at her, her expression genuinely curious. He realized his assumption was foolish.

"My mistake then," he conceded, but she seemed unfazed by his apology.

"I cater to the whims of both humans and demons, milord," she explained. "You all have a singular similarity that transcends all other boundaries: desires."

He looked at her sharply, but her eyes remained focused on Kirara.

"Desire for power, wealth, glory…" she lifted her gaze to meet his, "Love."


	10. The Request

**Word Count:** 175

* * *

 **Chapter 10: The Request**

* * *

He felt her eyes studied him, watching for a subtle twitch or change in his expression. She may be knowledgeable of others, but he was skilled in controlling his expressions. He kept his visage blank.

"I have questions," he stated plainly.

She blinked, sitting up and causing Kirara to jump off her lap before skittering away to perch on a bookshelf. She gestured to the newly empty seat next to her, but Sesshoumaru remained frozen to his spot. "More questions, Lord Sesshoumaru? I would be happy to answer—"

"I do not want to hear your explanations."

"You 'wish' to witness the answers for yourself?" she suggested, standing up and walking over to him. His expression remained impassive even in the face of her knowing smile.

"I request to learn the answers for myself."

"You seek knowledge? For what, may I ask, milord?"

"You."

She pointed at herself, surprised.

"Your existence perplexes me."

"Well," she gestured to her shop, "As long as the shop allows you in, you may study me to your heart's content."


	11. Gamble

**Word Count:** 276

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Gamble**

* * *

The first client of hers that Sesshoumaru had seen with his own eyes was a middle-aged human man, skittish and eager. He had entered the shop, staring with wonder and greed at the miscellaneous items Kagome possessed. He was about to grab the pocket watch Sesshoumaru himself had touched days before when Kagome walked into the room, her kimono trailing after her.

"You desire something," she said, unconcerned that he was about to steal her watch for his own gain. "What is it, my good man?"

"You will give me what I want?" The man asked her with suspicion. "Why?"

"My shop only allows those with the strongest desire to enter. You wish for something…" her voice trailed off as she took a glance at him before suggesting, "Money?"

The man trembled. "My lady, I—I have nothing left in my possession! I've lost it all…my job, my home, and even my wife had left me!"

"And you believe money will solve all of your problems?"

"Yes!" The man stepped towards her eagerly, and Sesshoumaru felt himself tensed up, but Kagome herself remained calm. "If I have money, I can pay off my debts! My wife, she—she will come back to me, I just know she will!"

"I will require a payment."

"But my lady—I told you I don't have anything!"

"I do not wish for material possession, Susumu," she said, ignoring the look of surprise from her client when she said his name, "What I want is something else entirely."

"What—what is it?" he asked nervously. Sesshoumaru observed silently with interest.

Kagome tilted her head to the side, surveyed him, and smiled.


	12. Reversal of Luck

**Word Count:** 260

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Reversal of Luck**

* * *

It was not that Sesshoumaru distrusted Kagome, but he was wary, finding her promises to be too good to be true. He followed after Susumu, as she had suggested as alleviation for his doubts, after the human had left her shop bound to the contract made with her. The first two days were ordinary, showing the man scavenging the streets for scraps of food by day and sleeping on the sidewalk by night. On the third day, however, Susumu woke up, grumbling with a piece of paper stuck to his face. He pulled it off and stuffed it in his pocket, immediately forgetting about it.

It seemed trivial at the time, but later in the day, Sesshoumaru realized that the paper stuck to Susumu's face was in fact a lottery card, and a winning one at that. A potential act of thievery at a convenience store turned into a reversal of luck when Susumu had placed his hands in his pockets, feeling the card he had left there earlier.

"You granted his wish," Sesshoumaru said first thing when he returned to the shop.

Kagome was tending to her orchids when he had entered. She readjusted the plant before turning to greet her guest. "It is what I promised."

"No, you _granted_ his wish."

"Do you still doubt me, milord?"

"I still do not understand you."

"I am not hiding anything, Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Which is puzzling itself," he countered, "Everyone holds secrets, and I do not believe you are an exception."

"What secret do you believe I am hiding?"

"Your identity."


	13. Identity

**Word Count:** 100

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Identity**

She claimed she was who she said she was, but Sesshoumaru had his suspicions. She was not a demon and yet she didn't seem entirely human. She possessed an improbable ability and lacked a scent to identify her. He even questioned whether or not her appearance was real or fake. Sesshoumaru himself had many forms, and the one he had chosen to take for the moment was the furthest from what he truly looked like.

She appeared to him a beautiful young woman, but the one thing she could not hide was the age and wisdom in her tired eyes.


	14. Errands

**Word Count:** 180

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Errands**

* * *

Sesshoumaru stood outside the shop. The exterior was plain with no signage to even indicate this was a place of business. He wondered if the shop even had a name, since now that he had thought about it closely the owners had never ever referred to it as anything else except for the plain title.

"Oi!"

Sesshoumaru scowled, feeling someone rapped the back of his head with their knuckles. He turned around, his concealment slipping for a moment to flash warning golden eyes to the emerald green that were taunting him.

" _You_ may see the shop, but to the people that can't, you look like some creep staring into a window," Shippou said, holding several bags of grocery. He placed two of them into Sesshoumaru's arms. "Here. Do some errands with me and make yourself useful for once."

The disguised demon was about to send another threatening growl to the trickster when he caught sight of Shippou's retreating back and his many tails that swayed as he walked away. It was then that he realized the fox possessed eight tails.


	15. Eight

**Word Count:** 330

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Eight**

* * *

"You have eight tails," Sesshoumaru stated once they had reached the kitchen, which was not as straightforward of a path as he had previously presumed. He followed after Shippou into corridors, going through doorways that led to inexplicable places. At one point, he found himself walking across a small meadow full of butterflies. His initial assumption about the store's size and strangeness was corroborated by this particular visit.

Shippou popped his head from out of the pantry, raising one brow in confusion before his face broke into a grin. "Why, Sesshoumaru, were you checking out my ass?"

Sesshoumaru felt a renewed urge to murder the fox, though he suspected Kagome would not allow any harm to come to her assistant. The trickster himself would probably put up a decent fight anyway, considering the number of tails was an indication of his prowess and strength. He placed his irritation in check, deciding the fox would die another day, but today Sesshoumaru let his curiosity get the best of him.

"You lack the elusive ninth tail," he commented instead, seeing a wistfulness passed Shippou's usual mischievous face.

He shrugged instead, laughing. "Well, if it was easy to get, then everyone would damn well have it!" He walked back out, pulling several vegetables out of a bag to place them in the fridge. His usual light-heartedness became a façade he was trying to hold in this moment. "It's been, what, maybe almost three hundred years since I got this eighth tail? Getting tails two through six was a breeze, but these last ones…"

He tossed a humorless look Sesshoumaru's way. "But, hey, that means nothing when you live as long as we do."

"You say 'we,' do you mean you and I…" Sesshoumaru's voice trailed off for a moment. "Or do you include her as well?"

"She is a very strange one, right?" Shippou asked, not answering his question.

"Very," Sesshoumaru agreed, helping the other demon put away the rest of the grocery.


	16. Garden

**Word Count:** 245

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Garden**

* * *

Sesshoumaru was a lot of things in his past lives. He was a ruthless killer who thirsted for glory. He was a fallen warrior searching for redemption. He was many things, but he had never, ever been lost. Ever.

And yet, much to his irritation, he realized there was a first time for everything, including being lost.

He had been wandering through the shop for over twenty minutes now following Shippou's direction to return to the entrance. At this point, though, he wondered if this was another one of the fox's trickery or if it was the store itself playing mind games with him. He would destroy them both if he could.

He was about to backtrack his steps when off to one doorway, he caught the strange sound of water. Curious, he followed the noise, being led to a garden full of plants and flowers that should not be in coexistence. Beautiful spring lily of the valley lined a beaten path, releasing their pleasant aroma as off in a corner Sesshoumaru caught sight of a patch of autumn chrysanthemum, bursting in a brilliance of gold.

A splash stirred him out of his awe, and it was then that he realized the sound of water came from the small waterfall in a koi pond. Nothing about the garden made sense, but then, nothing about her made sense either, so perhaps it was just as well that this place would be an example of her oddity.


	17. Titles

**Word Count:** 162

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Titles**

* * *

"Lord, Sesshoumaru," Kagome greeted him, emerging from behind, "I see you have found my garden."

The demon looked at her, searching, perplexed. "Why do you constantly refer to me as that?"

"It is your title," she answered, walking over to the trellis full of morning glories in myriad blooms of purple, pink, and everything in between. She carefully broke a stem between her fingers before placing the picked flower behind her right ear.

"Titles are obsolete. They mean nothing now."

"I must be nostalgic for the past then," she said, and then hurried on, "Shall I call you simply Sesshoumaru now? Or would you prefer me to use your current human name—Takeru? A bit of an indicative name, wouldn't you say?"

Sesshoumaru turned away from her, eyes following a white koi with black speckles as it swam through the water before disappearing under the small wooden bridge that curved over the pond. "Never mind. Do as you please."

"Thank you, milord."

* * *

 **Endnote:** Takeru, depending on the kanji used, can mean different things. Two of the meanings happen to be "warrior" and "noble". Take your pick to which one Kagome is implying!

(And yes—I've used this as his "human" name before in "Down the Rabbit Hole Again". I tend to default to my headcanon of what I want his human alias to be. orz)


	18. Fruits

**Word Count:** 342

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Fruits**

* * *

He followed her down a path, passing other strange plants he couldn't even identify before he came to a clearing that was surrounded by different trees bearing fruits. She pointed at a plum tree, at one particular ripe fruit up high beyond her reach.

"Will you get that for me, milord?"

He did it without question. He walked up to the tree and extended one arm, easily grabbing the fruit that had eluded her petite form. He handed it to her, feeling her fingers brushed against his.

 _Isn't this delicious, milord?_

"What?" he looked at her, surprised, but she had already bitten into the fruit, happily savoring the sweetness.

She wiped the juice that dripped down her chin with the sleeve of her kimono, seeming to not care whether or not she gotten the expensive silk dirtied. She tilted her head to the side, questioning. "I did not say anything, Lord Sesshoumaru, but thank you for picking this for me."

He stared at her for a long time, knowing he had heard a female voice speaking to him. He dropped the matter, letting himself just watch her eat for now. He blinked in surprise when she reached for his hand, pulling him towards another area in her garden.

"Do you like strawberries, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

 _Lord Sesshoumaru, you've brought me strawberries! How did you know they were my favorite?_

He pulled his hand away from hers immediately. She looked back, confused by his reaction.

"Is something wrong, milord?"

"I—" He looked into her wondering eyes, trying to recall the brief vision that had flashed through his mind just seconds ago, but it seemed to have already vanished from his memory just as quickly as it had appeared. "I do not know."

He tentatively reached for her hand again, expecting the same thing to happen once more, but this time no vision or voice came to him, much to his surprise. He was barely aware of Kagome dragging him off to the strawberry patch, as his mind remained troubled by its earlier deliria.


	19. Roles

**Word Count:** 222

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Roles**

* * *

"May I see your true form, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked as they walked down a path in her garden headed back to the door. She admired the foliage along the way, her fingers gliding delicately over the flowers, as she made the casual request.

Being a creature with a long lifespan meant that Sesshoumaru had to change his roles often to ward off any suspicions. He was a noble, a warrior, a scholar, a sailor, a physician—he had taken on so many masks at some point they had all become blurred.

In a time when demons were just part of old folklores, he became integrated deeper and deeper into human society, remembering only faintly in the back of his mind his true form. He had kept this human appearance for so long he was surprised when he heard her request to see what he truly looked like.

"You wish to see what I look like?" He asked, pausing, and then continuing with a faint, unamused smirk, "Which one?"

"Hm," she hummed, taking his hand in hers. She ran her finger down his wrist, seeming to already know that there were stripes that ran down the skin there. "The second one for now."

She looked up, meeting his surprised gaze. "Your real form needs a more spacious area to run free, milord."


	20. Familiar

**Word Count:** 322

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Familiar**

* * *

He acquiesced, wishing to shed his human disguise as well. He let the spell dropped, feeling his hair growing longer, lightening until it was snow white. He pulled up his shirt sleeve, seeing the magenta stripes had reappeared on his arm, a sign that his facial markings had also resurfaced after being hidden for so long.

He turned his golden eyes towards her, trying to gauge her reaction. He was surprised when she had stepped even closer, smiling instead of reacting with fear or disgust. Her fingers glided down strands of his long hair, admiring its silkiness.

"Beautiful," she murmured, "I would much rather see you in this form more often."

He gave her a curt nod, neither accepting nor denying her request. Instead, he responded quietly, "You are a strange one."

"So I've been told," she laughed, reaching for his hand as she guided them back out.

 _Oh, milord—I…_

Sesshoumaru jerked back, gasping softly in spite of himself. It was another vision. He saw a strange woman—human, he noted—pressed against him skin-to-skin as her blunt nails scraped down his back, moaning and pleading, her warm breath against his neck stirring him as he sought to relieve their aches.

"Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome stared at him with wondering eyes, surprised by his odd reaction.

There was something strange about the woman in his vision. Something familiar even, though he wondered why since he recalled none of his past partners bearing such resemblance. He felt a strange hollowness inside as he grasped at the first thought that came to him. His golden eyes appeared to blaze brighter as he looked at her angrily, demanding, "Have we met before?"

She laughed, finding his question to be absurd. She gave his cheek a gentle stroke, not minding when he seemed to recoil from her touch. "Of course not, milord," she purred quietly, "I would certainly have remembered a handsome demon such as you."

* * *

 **Endnote:** Alrighty then, folks. Believe it or not, that was just setting up the story, so thank you to everyone who has been following the story's leisure pacing. The next bundle of chapters will be some very episodic slice of life scenes as I shift focus back to the shop, the patrons, and of course, the occupants of the shop. Once we get into the actual main plot, it will start to move faster (I think so anyway lol). Hopefully, I'll have some unexpected surprises in store for all of you. ;3


	21. Connection

**Word Count:** 157

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Connection**

* * *

Sesshoumaru didn't understand what was happening. Since the shop appeared to him weeks ago, he couldn't draw away from its gravitational pull, feeling beckoned to return to it time and time again. As he remained there, he felt plagued by the strange visions that came and went without warning. Sometimes he couldn't remember them, and other times he felt like he saw them in perfect clarity.

When the vision passed, though, he felt a strange hollowness inside of him as he grasped for the fleeting images, trying to summon them back forcefully, but it would always end in failure. He could only manage fragmented images of skin, claws, blood, remembering only ragged breathing and a lust so insatiable, unlike any he had ever experienced.

The timing of these strange incidents was too particular to be mere coincident, and with no other explanation, Sesshoumaru could only wonder whether or not the visions and the shop were somehow connected.


	22. Affectionate

**Word Count:** 455

* * *

 **Chapter 22: Affectionate**

* * *

Sesshoumaru returned to the shop days later in the middle of one of Kagome's transactions. He watched as Kagome exchanged a few kind words with a young female teenager before seeing her out the door. It was then that he noticed Shippou emerged from behind the drapes, breathing a huge sigh of relief. He raised a brow at the fox demon's odd behavior, noting this was the first time that Sesshoumaru had seen the other male's hair hung free of his usual braid.

"Oh, thank god, she is gone," he griped.

"Shippou!" Kagome whirled around with disapproving eyes on her assistant. "That is not a very kind thing to say."

He snorted in response, unabashed by the admonishment. "Well, the girl was clingy. And did you see how she was _staring_ at me?" He pulled defensively at the green jacket he wore, behaving like a modest maiden being spied upon as she bathed. He huffed before he reached behind his head, his hands already separating his hair into three equal sections. "Don't be fooled by that bashful face. Kids these days are not that innocent, Kagome!"

She smiled before she walked up behind him and tended to his hair herself. Sesshoumaru watched with a strange stirring in his chest as she combed through the fox's auburn hair with her slender fingers before she began braiding it for the other demon.

"There," she smiled in satisfaction once she had completed the braid. She smirked when Shippou turned around to face her as he held the braid over his shoulder for inspection. "I would think a handsome fox would relish in that sort of attention."

"Not from _kids_ ," he argued, arms crossed indignantly.

"She was seventeen."

"A child," he scoffed again, turning his head away and letting the braid fall behind his back again.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You are incorrigible."

Shippou grinned before he leaned over and gave Kagome's cheek a quick kiss, surprising Sesshoumaru. "I have standards. Oh, hey, Sesshoumaru!" he greeted the other demon with a surprised chirp, apparently finally noticing him, which displeased the proud dog demon to know his presence hadn't been acknowledged immediately.

Instead of waiting for a response, Shippou took a glance at his watch before he headed towards the door. "Be back in a bit, Kagome. I have to see a man about some mochi and dorayaki."

She shook her head, sighing, "Incorrigible fox."

"Nosy sorceress," he shot back, laughing as he disappeared out the door.

"How are you, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome finally greeted him.

"Fine," he answered stiffly, though she seemed to not be fazed by his tone.

"Would you like some tea?"

He shook his head once, watching as she walked into the parlor. He followed suit.


	23. Jealousy

**Word Count:** 141

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Jealousy**

* * *

"You and that fox demon are close."

"Shippou?" Kagome looked up from the book she was reading. Her kimono had come somewhat loose, revealing the fair skin above her chest, which drew back the vision Sesshoumaru had before in the garden when she had touched his hand. Something about her was drawing out his baser instincts, and he detested this lowly behavior. He could almost hear himself panting quietly at the sight, though she seemed oblivious to his behavior. "We have been together for a long time."

"Is he…your mate?"

"He is not," she answered, unsurprised by the question. She closed her book and set it to the side. She leaned forward, a wry smile crept onto her round face. "Any reason for your curiosity, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"No reason," he answered briskly, turning away, unsure of his own motivation and feelings.


	24. Droop

**Word Count:** 312

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Droop**

* * *

Kagome had retired to her room, leaving Sesshoumaru alone in the parlor with his thoughts. He didn't understand what had caused him to feel territorial with the fox demon when it came to her. After all, Shippou had known Kagome for far longer than Sesshoumaru had, so it only made sense how close and affectionate the two may be. His mind flickered back to the chaste kiss and he barely restrained the growl that threatened to rise.

"Yo, Earth to Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru blinked rapidly, unused to spacing out like he did. He turned around and saw Shippou standing behind him, holding a large paper bag in his left arm as his free hand held a dorayaki he was still munching on.

"Geez, your senses are rusty," Shippou said with a heavy sigh in between bites, "This is like the second time you didn't sense me, and I'm not even trying to hide my presence." Before Sesshoumaru could even respond, he continued, glancing around the room with confusion, "Hey, where's Kagome?"

"She has retired to her room to rest," Sesshoumaru responded, deciding to let the earlier careless comment pass. He felt foolish for having his guard lowered and didn't feel the need to hear any more jeers.

"Oh, really?" Shippou snorted quietly. "And here I went out of the goodness of my heart to buy extra snacks for her." He shrugged, and was about to head to the kitchen before he was stopped by Sesshoumaru's voice.

"How did you come to be with her?"

Shippou blinked, confused by the sudden question. "With Kagome? It's not that great of a story."

"Tell me," Sesshoumaru demanded, standing up from his seat.

Shippou shrugged, throwing the last piece of dorayaki into his mouth, chewing loudly. "Fine, come with me to the kitchen then."

Sesshoumaru followed closely behind, seeing Shippou's tails seemed to have drooped a bit.


	25. Three

**Word Count:** 295

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Three**

* * *

Shippou didn't begin his story immediately, being more focused on laying out all of the dorayaki and mochi he had bought earlier and making some tea. As he went about the task, he pointedly ignored Sesshoumaru's presence even though he had agreed to speak with the dog demon. When it seemed Shippou had finished with everything, Sesshoumaru waited for the fox demon to sit down, but instead he had whirled around, opening a cupboard to retrieve a lollipop from his secret stash.

"Fox, you are dawdling."

"Yeah, I am," Shippou agreed, unwrapping the paper around the candy before sticking it into his mouth. Hearing the now all too familiar annoyed growl, Shippou turned around, leaning against the kitchen counter as he faced the other demon. He pulled the lollipop out of his mouth and sighed before speaking.

"My mother died when I was born," Shippou recalled, spinning his lollipop between his forefinger and thumb, "It was just my father and I for a few centuries, but," he paused, growing still as he thought back to so long ago, "he was killed one day protecting me from some demons."

"Your story is typical of many."

"Your empathy deserves some work," Shippou drawled, casting a dirty look towards the dog demon. He continued with his story, his face softening as he spoke, "Kirara was the one who found me next to my dead father. Without question, Kagome took me in."

He stuck his lollipop back into his mouth, smiling sadly. "It's just been the three of us ever since." He gave the ceiling a long look, shrugging once more. "I've told you it wasn't interesting." He lowered his gaze, smiling at Sesshoumaru, though his usual sparkling eyes remained dull, "Not that I would have changed a thing."


	26. Defensive

**Word Count:** 297

* * *

 **Chapter 26: Defensive**

* * *

Sesshoumaru had seen many orphans in his lifetime. He was guilty of creating them in many cases, but there was something about Shippou's situation that intrigued him. From the fox's explanation, he was fairly young when Kagome had took him in, but he was now clearly fully grown and powerful in his own rights, capable of surviving on his own and taking a mate and starting his own family. In spite of all of that, though, he still remained with her, showing no inclination of pursuing his own path.

"Do you feel obligated to stay with her?"

"I _choose_ to stay with her," Shippou corrected Sesshoumaru sharply. "She wanted me to leave a long time ago, to find my own path and happiness, but…I'm happy with her."

Sesshoumaru's brows furrowed at the response. "You are wasting your life and potential."

It was Shippou's turn to narrow his eyes. "Did I ask for your opinion?" He gestured to Sesshoumaru's concealed form, looking just like a typical Japanese human man. "What potential am I not living up to in a world that has forced demons into hiding?" His tails twitched wildly behind him as his voice rose in anger. "At least here I don't have to hide myself. I am happy with her. You cannot possibly understand something like that when you have lived your life causing destruction in your path."

Sesshoumaru stiffened slightly, a tic that would have been lost on most creatures, but Shippou was far sharper than he let on. The trickster let out a low chuckle, his eyes darkening briefly.

"Don't underestimate me, _Lord_ Sesshoumaru. I know who you are, perhaps even more than you realize." His wry smile melted away, returning to its usual mischievous merriment. "Now, would you like some of my dorayaki?"


	27. Visit

**Word Count:** 341

* * *

 **Chapter 27: Visit**

* * *

Sesshoumaru was surprised one day when he received a knock on his door, but the feeling quickly passed when he remembered who it could only be that came to visit him. He didn't care for having friends, so he had none. He cared even lesser about acquaintances. He would never admit it aloud, but the only person he tolerated in the world was also the only one who shared half his blood.

"Inuyasha," he greeted the half-demon at his door.

"Where the fuck have you been?"

Sesshoumaru raised one brow at the sudden outburst from his younger brother.

"I know you feel like you don't need to work hard to survive, but at least put in some half-assed effort to show up once in a while to a meeting or two!" Inuyasha strode in pass his brother, already making his way into Sesshoumaru's kitchen to dig around for snacks. Finding none, his scowl deepened as he slammed a cupboard door shut. "And buy something to eat for fuck's sake! Preferably something that will clog most people's arteries!"

"Are you done?" Sesshoumaru inquired evenly, shutting the door before walking into the kitchen to join his brother.

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest. He glowered for another moment before nodding. "Seriously, though," he spoke again in a softer tone, his concealment spell slipping to reveal snow white triangular ears flattening against his head, "Where have you been lately?" He paused, and then continued in a gruffer voice, "I'm not worried or anything, but the runts are all pestering about you and won't give me a second of peace until I make sure your ancient ass ain't dead somewhere."

Sesshoumaru ignored the latter crass comment. He considered his answer for a second before speaking. "Have you heard of a woman called 'The Sorceress'?"

Inuyasha stilled, his focus gone as his concealment spell dropped completely to reveal his true form. Wide golden eyes stared back at his brother in shock as he struggled to find his voice.

"So she's real?" Inuyasha asked breathily, awestruck.


	28. Desperation

**Word Count:** 128

* * *

 **Chapter 28: Desperation**

* * *

"You've met her?" Inuyasha pressed on.

Sesshoumaru nodded.

"I need to see her," Inuyasha persisted, gripping tightly the front of Sesshoumaru's shirt. "Please, Sesshoumaru, let me see her."

Sesshoumaru knew what was racing through his brother's mind. He had only seen Inuyasha behaving desperately like this five times in his life, and they were all instances that had nearly destroyed his brother. He looked into golden eyes that seemed so similar to his, but were far more emotive and honest than his could ever be.

"It is not my place to permit who sees her," Sesshoumaru said carefully, "But I will take you there, little brother. Whether or not she or her shop accepts you is another question."

"Yeah," Inuyasha laughed hollowly, letting go, "I know the rumors."


	29. Unhelpful

**Word Count:** 208

* * *

 **Chapter 29: Unhelpful**

* * *

"Before I take you to her, tell me what you know about fox demons."

Inuyasha snorted, returning to his usual self again. "What an ass, asking for equal payment," he muttered under his breath irritably, knowing Sesshoumaru would still hear every word. He looked at his brother, half-annoyed, and asked, "Can't you ever do something nice without asking for something in return?"

"No."

Inuyasha snorted again. "Of-fucking-course not." He scratched the side of his head thoughtfully. "They are rare. They don't socialize with many…not even with their own kind."

The information Inuyasha had shared was common knowledge among demons and therefore not what Sesshoumaru was hoping to glean from the half-demon. He pondered for a moment before deciding he might as well be specific about what he was asking: "Have you heard of one named Shippou?"

"Never heard of him," Inuyasha answered, shrugging, "He a friend of yours?"

"No," Sesshoumaru answered a little too quickly, though Inuyasha didn't seem to notice a difference.

"Oh!" Inuyasha piped up thoughtfully, seeming to recall something of value. Sesshoumaru raised one brow curiously, waiting for him to speak.

"They like shapeshifting into beautiful women to seduce men—male demons included."

Sesshoumaru wondered why he had ever thought his brother would be helpful.


	30. Disappointment

**Word Count:** 380

* * *

 **Chapter 30: Disappointment**

* * *

"Well, if you're going to pout about it," Inuyasha started, seeing the displeased expression plastered on his older brother's face, though granted, it was his default expression most of the time anyway, "I guess I could ask Kouga to look into—what's his name again?"

"Shippou," Sesshoumaru repeated.

"Mm, Shippou, gotcha," Inuyasha mumbled, "I'll have Kouga get on it, though you know that mangy wolf doesn't like listening to me all that much."

"Because you had nearly disemboweled his great-grandson for mating with your great-great-great-great granddaughter."

"Little Chiasa was only 200!" Inuyasha glared at his brother. "And we buried the hatchet. Sort of."

Sesshoumaru raised a brow.

"I may on occasions still try to crush Takehiko's hand when no one's looking."

"Little brother, you are hopeless."

Inuyasha stuck his tongue out at his brother. "Well, if you had daughters and the likes, you would feel a little protective, too!" He scratched the side of his head again, mumbling to himself quietly, "Geez, I never did get why you had never taken a mate. Our old man even found you some suitable matches and you rejected all of them."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "I do not need a mate."

"You are a complete disappointment as a firstborn," Inuyasha quipped brightly. "Which is why I was everyone's favorite!"

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru's tone dropped lower, warning the half-demon silently that he was very close to losing his tongue.

"Yeah, yeah, I gotcha," Inuyasha grunted back, already strolling back out towards the door with his concealed form intact. "I'll see what I can learn about that fox demon. Stop by for dinner sometimes and we'll talk some more. The runts—I don't know _why_ —miss Uncle Sesshou. Don't even get me started on their pipsqueaks…and _their_ pipsqueaks."

"I'll consider the offer," Sesshoumaru said noncommittally, earning only an exasperated sigh from his brother.

"All jokes aside," Inuyasha started carefully as he stood outside the door, his eyes occasionally darting around, "You seem different lately."

Sesshoumaru was quiet for a moment. "How so?"

"You seem…f _ocused_."

"I am always focused."

"Yeah, but you seem just…single-minded." Inuyasha sighed when his explanation continued to fly over Sesshoumaru's head. "Never mind. Just remember your promise. I need to see the Sorceress, too."

Sesshoumaru nodded, watching his brother disappeared down the hallways.


	31. Deception

**Word Count:** 476

* * *

 **Chapter 31: Deception**

* * *

Sesshoumaru entered the shop days later, seeing and sensing no one inside. Curious, he ventured into the parlor, finding Kagome sitting there on the sofa with Kirara behind her.

"Good morning," he greeted, though she didn't seem to notice him. He frowned and walked closer. "Sorceress."

She looked up, a coy smile spread across her face. "Won't you sit down, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

His frown deepened, finding her behavior to be odd—well, odder than normal. He acquiesced, but was startled when she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance, about to demand an explanation for her sudden actions, but was stopped by the dulcet tone of her voice.

"Lord Sesshoumaru," she said quietly, pressing herself close to him, her head buried in the crook of his neck. He felt her pressed a kiss there, and his breath caught in his throat as the memory of the visions from before flashed through his mind again. He closed his eyes, giving in to her in a moment of weakness when his hands grazed over her hips. Her hair tickled his nose, its scent reminding him of sandalwood.

Sandalwood.

His eyes snapped open as he pushed 'Kagome' away.

" _Fox_ ," he growled.

It was in that moment that the real Kagome entered the room carrying a small paper cup of vanilla ice cream in her hand. She had a little wooden paddle spoon in her mouth as she tossed a curious look to the dog demon and her imposter. She sighed.

"Shippou, you know men do not appreciate being tricked like that," she scolded her assistant—apparently not for the first time in regard to this particular treachery—who at this very moment transformed back into his usual grinning self.

His grin disappeared quickly, though, when he caught a glimpse of an oncoming attack. The trickster immediately hopped back, balancing on one foot after narrowly avoiding sharp claws from the other demon in the room, who had dropped his usual disguised form in favor of one that was able to inflict more harmful bodily damage.

"Wh-whoa, can't you take a joke, Sesshoumaru?" Shippou yelped when one of the claws ripped a hole in his shirt. Seeing the dog demon was not going to be appeased any time soon, he immediately summoned up several clones of himself as he made a hasty retreat.

"Ice cream, Kirara?" Kagome looked at her little feline companion napping on top of the sofa. The cat demon immediately hopped onto her mistress' shoulder, mewling happily. The two females left the males to their business.

"Don't break my vase!" Kagome called over her shoulder. "Or my assistant!"

"I will make no promises, Sorceress," Sesshoumaru growled in response, his eyes holding a faint hint of crimson as he swiped at a decoy.

"Oh, well," Kagome sighed, eating another spoonful of ice cream.


	32. Alpha

**Word Count:** 444

* * *

 **Chapter 32: Alpha**

* * *

Shippou led Sesshoumaru on a chase through the corridors and into different doorways. The shop itself seemed to have joined the fox in having fun and playing tricks on the dog demon by throwing him off-guard when it suddenly stretched its corridors longer, distancing him from Shippou, who had slowed down to a brisk jog.

He scowled when the other male turned around and pulled one eyelid down, tongue stuck out petulantly, before he slipped through a doorway on his left. After five minutes of running, the shop finally allowed Sesshoumaru to reach that very same doorway. Cautiously, he entered as well, finding a vast clearing in the middle of a forest.

He felt a cool breeze ruffling his long hair as he strode through the tall grass searching for the fox. He sniffed the air and was surprised to find different scents mingling together. He looked down, his clawed hand fingering a grass blade curiously. It felt so real.

Nothing about the place seemed artificial. He had always assumed these locations were just another illusion conjured up by the shop, but now he found himself wondering if it had somehow transported him to a real location on Earth.

He continued walking until he reached the edge of the clearing. He closed his eyes, using his senses to search for Shippou again. It took a few moments, but then he felt the familiar aura and the scent of sandalwood being carried by the wind towards him.

He opened his eyes just as Shippou flicked his forehead right where his family crescent moon emblem was adorned. His immediate murderous glare was exactly the reaction Shippou was searching for as he snickered in response.

"Think an old dog like you can keep up with me?" Shippou leapt up high, landing gracefully on a tree branch. His smug smile disappeared immediately when Sesshoumaru appeared before him in a flash with claws dripping of green acid that burned through a portion of the thick branch.

"Fox, it is time you learn your place."

Hearing the threat only made Shippou's face break out into an even wider grin than before, appearing to enjoy the promise of a challenge. He summoned his clones again who appeared all around Sesshoumaru in a swarm.

Sesshoumaru simply rolled his eyes, tired of the same old trick, but he did feel a strange excitement stirring inside him. It had been so long since he last had a worthy opponent to spar with, and an eight-tailed fox demon would certainly be a first for him.

"I like a challenge, Lord Sesshoumaru," the real Shippou said before he leapt from his place, disappearing among his decoys.


	33. Bruised

**Word Count:** 203

* * *

 **Chapter 33: Bruised**

* * *

"So," Kagome started slowly, eyes darting from one bruised male to the next, "Who won?"

"I did," both answered simultaneously before casting the other a dirty look, not aware of the smile forming on Kagome's face.

"Shippou," Kagome started in a melodious tone, inciting a guilty wince from the fox demon, "Did Lord Sesshoumaru put you in your place?"

Shippou snorted, arms crossed over his chest, though Kagome noticed a rising blush on his cheeks. "I went easy on him. Be kind to your elder and all that, ya know? Didn't want him to break a hip or something."

"Is that so?" Kagome asked in a disbelieving tone before giving Sesshoumaru a wide grin, "Thank you for giving his overinflated ego a good bruising, Lord Sesshoumaru."

Shippou glared at the two pleased figures while Sesshoumaru smirked inwardly. "It was my pleasure," he replied, "I have some experience handling insolent younglings."

"Said the demon who got seduced by an image of a woman," Shippou snorted before tossing a sly grin to a suddenly uncomfortable Kagome, "Of a certain sorceress no less."

"Do you need another beating?"

"I give you permission to harm him this time, milord."

Shippou yelped before scurrying out of the room.


	34. Outing

**Word Count:** 295

* * *

 **Chapter 34: Outing**

* * *

One day, Kagome surprised Sesshoumaru with an invitation to join her in an outing. He had never seen her leave her shop before, so he was curious as to what kind of places she would venture to. Joining the two of them on the outing was Shippou, who had concealed his demonic traits for this particular trip. He seemed to be extra chipper, already knowing where Kagome was headed.

Although Sesshoumaru asked for details, neither the sorceress nor her assistant broke their silence. It didn't matter all that much, since it wasn't long before Sesshoumaru found himself standing outside the campus of the University of Tokyo.

"Why are we here?"

"Him." Shippou pointed at a young human man in the distance laughing alongside a fellow female classmate.

Sesshoumaru still didn't understand Kagome's intention, finding nothing particularly special about the human. He studied the human a tad bit longer, slowly noting a strange familiarity in his physical appearance and even his mannerism. He turned to Kagome, realization seeming to dawn on him. She smiled in response when it appeared he had caught on to the reason for her visit.

"That is Shigeru, my younger brother's great-great-great-great-great grandchild." She paused, frowned, and then gave Shippou a helpless look. "I'm missing another 'great', aren't I?"

The fox snickered. "Two, actually."

She frowned and waved his laughter aside. "It's hard keeping track of my relatives, but it is a duty I try not to neglect." She gave a heavy sigh. "Souta and his descendants had been… _dutiful_ in their procreation."

Sesshoumaru also ignored Shippou's increasing laughter, clearly not caring if the fox would keel over and die from a ruptured spleen. "I have never realized you had a brother. Was he not like you?"

"Thankfully no," she answered, surprising him.


	35. Park

**Word Count:** 383

* * *

 **Chapter 35: Park**

* * *

"The weather is lovely today," Kagome casually remarked, sitting down on a bench in a park, unaffected by the strange stares she received regarding her formal wear. She smiled as Sesshoumaru sat down next to her as well.

"Where is the fox?" he asked, noting that somewhere between the university and park, they had both lost sight of Shippou.

She shrugged, smiling still. "He said he needed to make a sweet trip over to Chiba."

"Chiba?"

"Yeah, the demon-inhabited district?" Kagome raised a brow at Sesshoumaru's tone. "I would think you would be familiar with the area."

"I am," he answered slowly, "I just wasn't aware you do as well."

She shrugged. "Truth be told, I've never been there before." She laughed quietly, "But I am intrigued by the secrecy of it all. The demons there must be strong to sustain a spell to hide an entire district."

Sesshoumaru remained quiet, his thoughts shifting elsewhere.

"Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"What is it?"

"You became quiet."

"Did I?"

Kagome leaned in closer, her hand reaching out for Sesshoumaru's cheek, and he remained still, watching her. Just as Kagome's fingers were about to graze his cheek, they heard a loud voice from behind them.

"Guess, who was generous and bought some extra daifuku?"

Kagome pulled back, her cheeks a few shades brighter.

Sesshoumaru, calm as ever, turned to the source of the voice.

"You're back," he said, voice neutral.

"I miss you, too, _Lord_ Sesshoumaru," Shippou remarked dryly, "Here, catch."

Sesshoumaru effortlessly caught the little pink confection with one hand, blinking. His expression immediately grew sour when Shippou squeezed himself between the two, gently handing Kagome a white daifuku.

"It's delicious," Kagome said after a dainty bite, her eyes shifting over to Sesshoumaru. "Isn't it, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

At her gentle coaxing, he reluctantly took a bite as well. "It is," he agreed quietly, meeting her gaze, feeling a strange sense of contentment at her sudden smile.

"Of course, it is," Shippou interrupted the two, sounding offended, "I know my sweets." He blinked when neither person answered him. He looked between the two with a raised brow. "Did…something happened?"

"Eat your sweets," Sesshoumaru commanded, eyes shifting away to a nearby fountain, but not before catching sight of Kagome hiding her quiet giggles behind the sleeves of her kimono.


	36. Virtues

**Word Count:** 1040

* * *

 **Chapter 36: Virtues**

* * *

Rain pounded on the roof of the shop late one night, occasionally the violent beat was interrupted by the rumble of thunder.

"Oh, boy, aren't you glad you decided to stay back?" Shippou asked, lightly elbowing Sesshoumaru, his usual grin ever present on his youthful face. "You were this close to being a wet dog out there."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "Your juvenile behavior will be your untimely demise one day."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Shippou waved off his threat with a bored yawn.

"Ex-excuse me?"

The demons looked up, seeing a woman in her mid-thirties at the entrance, drenched to the bones with her clothes sticking to her skin. The rain had washed away some of her makeup, revealing black and blue skin, a busted lip.

"I'm sorry to bother you this late, but could—could I maybe stay here until it stops raining? I won't be any trouble—"

Shippou walked over, smiled charmingly, and extended his hand to the woman, guiding her in. "Is that all you seek?"

"Pa-pardon me?"

"Do we have a guest, Shippou?" Kagome asked, stepping into the room and holding a towel in her arms. She handed it to the woman, smiling kindly. "You poor thing. You are completely soaked! Shippou—"

"Got it, Sorceress!" Shippou gave her a wink and hurried off to prepare some refreshment.

Sesshoumaru stood back, watching as Kagome made small talk with the woman as she dried herself with the towel. By the time Shippou had returned with a tray of hot tea and snacks, the woman had handed the towel back to Kagome, who placed it off to the side.

They drank in silence for a brief moment before Kagome revealed the nature of the shop and herself. She waited expectantly for the woman's answer, though Sesshoumaru suspected based on past incidents, Kagome already had an idea of what it is her client wanted. She still waited for her answer.

"My greatest desire?" the woman asked, voice wistful, fragile, almost as if she was afraid saying the words would rob her of her hope and dream. "My freedom."

Kagome smiled gently. "You love a man. You do not desire him?"

"I cannot have him," she said quietly, acceptingly. "It would be wrong of me to have him all to myself when he is not even mine to begin with."

"And money is inconsequential?"

"With my freedom, I will gain everything else I desire of my own merit."

"Very well," Kagome said quietly, looking at her client with glasslike eyes. "Will you sing me a song, Miyako?"

Miyako looked back, startled that Kagome seemed to know her name and, to a lesser extent, the modest request. "A-a song?"

Kagome nodded, waiting. Behind her, Sesshoumaru kept his eyes on both women, observing, wondering what was going on in the sorceress' mind.

Hesitantly, Miyako opened her mouth, breathing in before she sang an old folk song she remembered from long ago, back to a time when she recalled dusky summer evenings chasing fireflies out in the fields with her friends and siblings as they waited for the moon to emerge from its hiding spot.

Kagome closed her eyes, seemingly remembering something from her own memories. Her breathing was shaky for a moment, a slip up that caught Sesshoumaru's keen observation, though he kept that to himself. To his side, Shippou had turned away, moved but troubled by his own past of a family taken from him.

When Miyako had sung the last verse, the final note hung in the air heavily as the occupants in the room remained lost in their own thoughts. She spoke shyly, "Was—was that alright? I-I haven't sang in a while."

Kagome opened her eyes and smiled kindly again. "It was lovely, Miyako. You will have your wish soon."

She looked back unsure at the sorceress, but she nodded, willing to take a leap of faith with this kind stranger.

Kagome turned to Shippou, who stepped forward holding an umbrella he had brought with him.

"Here," he said, handing the umbrella to Miyako with a gentle smile, "it doesn't look like the rain will ease up any time soon. You don't want to be stuck here all night with a couple of strangers."

Miyako nodded, bowing gratefully to her hosts as she accepted the item. "Thank you for your kindness."

As she headed for the door, she paused when she heard Kagome speaking again.

"You would have been a wonderful singer, Miyako."

Miyako was still and then she sighed, "Maybe in another life, miss. Goodbye."

Shippou remained at the door, watching Miyako walked down the sidewalk until she disappeared out of sight. He still kept his eyes on the horizon, but his eyes had faded, his thoughts disappearing to a time long gone by. It was only when a flash of lightning and the low rumble of thunder shook him out of his daze, bringing him back to the present. He stepped back in, shutting the door quietly.

"I-I'll be in my room if you need me, Kagome," Shippou said quietly, not waiting for a reply, as he disappeared down the corridors.

Minutes passed with just Sesshoumaru and Kagome alone in the room. She continued to drink her tea in silence as he stared at the door.

"She is a whore," Sesshoumaru murmured softly, breaking the silence. He had smelled the stench of indecency and shame on her in spite of the rain having washed away other fleeting scents. This was one scent, he realized, that had been ingrained into her very person. It could not be washed away so simply.

Kagome nodded. "What of it?"

"Just an observation."

"Is that so?"

He looked back at her, remembering her brief loss of composure. She had seemed so vulnerable then, just like a regular being. He wondered what she was thinking of to make her lose her usual serene merriment for just that one brief moment.

"It is late, I should head home," he said suddenly, heading for the door, still hearing the rain pouring mercilessly over Tokyo. He paused for a moment, not looking at her. "Have a good night, Sorceress."

"And you, Lord Sesshoumaru."

He walked outside, feeling the cold rain washed away his troubles.


	37. Invitation

**Word Count:** 177

* * *

 **Chapter 37: Invitation**

* * *

Sesshoumaru was a demon of his words, and so he eventually extended an invitation to his brother to accompany him on one of his trips to the shop.

"So…what is it you desire?" Inuyasha hesitantly asked his brother as they strolled down a sidewalk together. Seeing Sesshoumaru's surprised expression, Inuyasha shrugged. "Rumors have it that you can only see the shop if you have a deep desire for something, right?"

"Correct," Sesshoumaru responded.

"Well…?"

"I do not desire anything."

"Then how…?"

"I do not know."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Expressive as always," he grunted at his laconic brother. He immediately halted in his steps, his breath caught in his throat when he noticed the strange sight before him. "Wait," he started, finding his throat suddenly very dry, "Is…is that it?"

"Do you think it is?"

"Cut the vague bullshit, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha said, though there was no hint of anger or annoyance in his voice. He swallowed hard. "This wasn't here before. Does it mean…"

"Come, little brother."

Inuyasha quietly followed Sesshoumaru, hearing a bell chimed their entrance.


	38. Embarrassment

**Word Count:** 293

* * *

 **Chapter 38: Embarrassment**

* * *

"Fuck, this woman is a goddamned hoarder!" Inuyasha eyed all of the miscellaneous objects in the room with astonishment, lowering his guard and the concealment spell in the process.

Sesshoumaru did not hesitate to yank his brother's newly reappeared triangular-shaped ear, frowning with disapproval at the half-demon's crass words. "It is my own fault for having faith that you would outgrow this vulgar behavior."

"Wait, when did you have faith in me?" Inuyasha asked with a lopsided grin. "Say, remember that time when I was a pup and I accidentally flipped that lady bird demon's kimono up and the whole court saw her bare ass?"

Sesshoumaru massaged small circles around his temple. "Vividly," he answered with an annoyed sigh. "You truly are an embarrassment."

Inuyasha shrugged, unaffected by the insult. "Your mother still thinks that was hilarious."

"Yo, Sesshoumaru," a third male voice entered the room, cutting off whatever snide remark Sesshoumaru was about to throw at his brother. "So you _do_ hang out with someone other than us. I feel oddly betrayed."

"Eight—eight tails?" Inuyasha gaped, seeing Shippou's tails swished proudly side-to-side. "Is this him?"

Shippou raised a brow when Sesshoumaru gave a curt nod. His face broke into a mischievous grin. "Have you been talking about me, Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes," he answered, "I'm hoping to learn new ways to harm you."

"Geez," Shippou muttered, sidling up to Inuyasha's side with an even wider grin, "Maybe I should search for new ways to annoy you then."

"Hey, don't drag me into this!" Inuyasha protested, shoving the fox demon aside. "He gives me enough grief as it is!"

"Boys, boys, boys, settle down," Kagome's voice entered the room, smiling pleasantly. Her eyes settled on the lone half-demon. "Welcome to my little shop, Inuyasha."


	39. Resemblance

**Word Count:** 430

* * *

 **Chapter 39: Resemblance**

* * *

Inuyasha froze and stared at the woman in front of him. He staggered forward, his chest tightening with pain as his hand shakily reached out for her.

"Kik-Kikyou?"

She shook her head, walking over, and placing a gentle hand on the half-demon's shoulder. "I am not the one your heart yearns for, Inuyasha."

It took him a moment before he registered what she had said. He took another hard look at her, up close, and then he scoffed, turning his head away, his cheeks brightening from embarrassment. "Keh, of course not. Kikyou was better looking."

"She was a lovely woman," Kagome responded, unaffected by his tactless comment. Before Inuyasha could speak, she raised a hand, stopping him. She gave the other two demons a quiet look before motioning for Inuyasha to follow after her into the parlor. Once seated, she gestured for him to continue with his earlier thought.

"I hear you can grant people's wishes—their greatest desire."

She looked at him, already knowing what he had in mind. "Within my powers, yes. What you truly desire, Inuyasha, I cannot give you."

"But—"

"I cannot meddle with the delicate balance between life and death," she said firmly, leaving no room for argument. She saw his ears flattening against his head. She softened her voice again, "I know you wish to have your wife back with you once more, but resurrecting her will have terrible repercussion."

Inuyasha said nothing, though his silence did reveal that he understood her.

"I wish I could," she whispered softly, startling the half-demon, "I really wish I could."

His mouth curled up slightly, a wistful, bitter laugh escaped. "Well, Kikyou would be mad, too, if I went and did something stupid like that."

Kagome was silent now.

Inuyasha tilted his head to the side in surprise by her sudden silence. "What's wrong?"

She snapped out of her thoughts, flustering for a moment. "Oh, nothing." She paused. "Did you have children?"

The half-demon snorted loudly. "Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and so on and so on…" He casted a look to behind the drapes where Sesshoumaru was waiting, and no doubt was eavesdropping. He leaned toward Kagome, grinning now, his earlier despondency seemingly forgotten. "Want to see pictures?"

She answered with her own grin.

"Can't promise you that these mutts will have ears like these." His own triangular ears twitched. "But they can be cute when they're not nipping at ya or following the bastard back there." He threw his thumb behind gesturing to Sesshoumaru. They both felt a spike of irritated aura, and laughed amongst themselves.


	40. Closure

**Word Count:** 185

* * *

 **Chapter 40: Closure**

* * *

"What did she grant you?" Sesshoumaru inquired hours later as he walked home with his brother.

Although eavesdropping was beneath him, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but have heard bits and pieces of the private conversation between his brother and the sorceress. He had suspected as much that Inuyasha desired to have his human wife alive again, but the gravity of his wish was far too great to ever be granted. Thanks to Shippou interfering, however, Sesshoumaru never did catch on to the rest of the exchange.

Inuyasha unconsciously felt his rusted wedding ring, a small smile crept on his face. "Closure."

Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment before he asked, "In exchange for…?"

"Embarrassing stories about _you_ ," Inuyasha answered, turning around as he pulled one eyelid down. He laughed when Sesshoumaru glared right back at him. "It's a secret, bro! Race you home! Don't break a hip now, you old fart!"

"You are no longer a pup," Sesshoumaru scolded, though his pace had already quickened into a jog, "Act your age."

Inuyasha stuck his tongue out, his heart feeling lighter for the first time in centuries.

* * *

 **Endnote:** Eek! Another 20 chapters have passed! I had hoped I'd be closer to getting into the main story plot, but whoops, I accidentally wrote a few mini arcs. This just means we get to enjoy this AU a bit longer, right? Heh, thanks for sticking with me! I hope you'll all enjoy the next bundle of chapters~


	41. Lineage

**Word Count:** 677

* * *

 **Chapter 41: Lineage**

* * *

Sesshoumaru was eyeing the different mementos Kagome had gained throughout her lifetime: letters, artworks, photographs, and various other affectionate items. He couldn't help but noted that they were all from admirers—lovers possibly, he considered with a strange sense of dissatisfaction.

He turned away from the bookcase he was examining to see her lounging on the sofa, calmly stroking Kirara's fur as she hummed a song to herself. She seemed to be aware of his observation, but said nothing of it. She only looked up when Shippou entered the parlor, immediately leaning against the threshold with an annoyed look plastered on his normally cheerful face.

"Shippou?"

"He's back," the fox said with a grimace.

"Oh, dear," she responded quietly, stopping her ministration to the cat demon's displeasure.

"Who's back?" Sesshoumaru questioned, letting his curiosity get the better of him.

"Houjou," Shippou said, nodding in agreement when Kirara hissed at the name. "Well, his latest descendent, I suppose."

"Oh, dear," Kagome repeated with another sigh. "Try not to be too rough with this one, Shippou."

Shippou twitched at the sound of glassware shattering behind him, followed by a panicked male voice, and more objects breaking. Shippou cracked his knuckles. "No can do, Sorceress. I am sick of dealing with that idiotic lineage." He tossed a quick glare over his shoulder when he heard something metallic was knocked to the ground. "This one might be the dumbest one yet. Clumsy is an understatement." He then muttered bitterly under his breath, "Can't believe natural selection hasn't wiped this line out yet."

Kagome tutted disapprovingly at Shippou's tone and choice of words. She furrowed her brows for a moment before her face brightened again. She turned to Sesshoumaru with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru had kept quiet during this peculiar exchange. He met Kagome's eyes immediately when she called to him. He simply raised one brow in question.

"Will you do me a favor?"

"And why should I?"

"Let's just say—how did it go—you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours?"

Sesshoumaru remained silent, unsure of what was going through her odd little head.

"She wants you to toss out this twit," Shippou said, stepping into the room when he realized the conversation was going nowhere. "Last time she made me impersonated as her and I wanted to set myself on fire afterwards." He crossed his arms over his chest, scowling. "Which is rather counterproductive, considering I naturally _control_ fire."

"You are doing a poor job of convincing me to take you up on your offer."

"Pretty please, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome pleaded, mustering up wide puppy dog eyes.

"No," Sesshoumaru responded flatly, earning a round of snickers from Shippou.

Kagome instantly turned her sad eyes to her assistant. "Please, Shippou?"

Shippou stiffened immediately, his amusement evaporated in an instant. "Damn it, Kagome! You know I can't resist those eyes!"

"Pretty please?"

Shippou slumped, already turning around, but he stopped momentarily, wincing when he heard another crash. "Can I set _him_ on fire?"

"No," Kagome answered straightaway, but at the sound of a cuckoo clock breaking, she seemed to reconsider her response. She quickly shook her head, reaffirming strongly, " _No_ , we do _not_ set people on fire!"

"Not even a teensy bit?" Shippou asked.

"No!"

"Say, just a tiny spark, like in a certain family—"

"Shippou!"

"Fine!" he yelled back, transforming into her likeness amidst a puff of smoke. After the smoke cleared away, he struck a flirtatious pose in his "Kagome" disguise. "How do I look?"

"Perfect!" Kagome answered, beaming, while Sesshoumaru's intense look of disgust said otherwise.

Shippou took one step toward the entrance before he paused upon hearing the sound of curtains shredding. He tossed a dirty look to Kagome, which made her suddenly realized how uncomfortable it was to see a likeness of herself glaring at her so heatedly. Her stomach twisted further when she heard her own voice threatening her: "If another one shows up within this century, I am setting _that one_ on fire, with or without your permission."


	42. Diet

**Word Count:** 161

* * *

 **Chapter 42: Diet**

* * *

For a seemingly immortal and powerful sorceress, Sesshoumaru learned that Kagome's tastes were mediocre in many regards, including the literal.

"Wacdnalds?" he asked incredulously, watching as Shippou set her table with the burgers, fries, and milkshakes he had bought.

He grimaced when she grabbed a fry, dipped it into her chocolate milkshake, and took a bite.

"You must get with the time, milord," she chastised, pouring fries across her flattened hamburger wrapper for Kirara to help herself to. The fire cat demon mewed appreciatively as she nibbled on a fry.

"She's also ridiculously obsessed with oden," Shippou quipped before taking a huge bite out of his burger.

"Oh!" Kagome turned to Shippou with wide, bright blue eyes. "We _should_ have oden for dinner tomorrow, Shippou!"

"Me and my big mouth," Shippou sighed in mock exasperation before extending the burger he was eating toward Sesshoumaru. "Want a bite?"

"I will take a pass," answered the disgusted dog demon.

Shippou shrugged. "Your loss."


	43. Mother

**Word Count:** 1225

* * *

 **Chapter 43: Mother**

* * *

Sesshoumaru was rounding the corner of the sidewalk, making his way down the frequented path to the Sorceress' shop when a familiar voice called out to him from behind. He stilled, eyes closed, as he swiftly counted to ten in his head to mentally prepare himself for the sudden visitor.

He turned around. "Mother," he greeted politely to the stylishly dressed demoness.

She lowered her sunglasses, a smirk emerging on her face. "I'd expected a warmer greeting from my only son," she said, feigning sadness. She carefully slipped her sunglasses over her head. "Inuyasha gives me a more emotional reaction."

"You tweak his ears every time."

"Like I said, he gives me a more emotional reaction," she said with a casual wave of her hand. "Speaking of whom, he did mention that you've been neglecting your duties because of some side trip to this area?"

"I have no duties, and therefore I am neglecting nothing," he answered back with ease, "How I choose to spend my time is quite frankly, Mother, none of your business."

She frowned, unpleased by both his tone and comment. "Chiba, while tranquil as it may seem, still needs a leader to take care of it."

"Its leader is Inuyasha," he said curtly, "Unless he has abstained from the role to act as your little spy."

Her eyes narrowed as she stepped closer to her son. "Sesshoumaru, you know I do not care for how you treat me, you insolent pup, but you will treat your brother better than that."

Sesshoumaru walked away from his mother, continuing his way down the sidewalk, though he sensed her presence close behind him. "As immature and embarrassing as he may be sometimes, I do acknowledge my brother's abilities. Chiba has its leader. I desire no part in Father's little demon city."

"You used to aspire to inherit everything of your father," his mother murmured lowly, her every word heard by her son's keen ears. "You _did_ inherit everything. And then you threw it all away." She stopped walking. "Why is that, my son?"

Sesshoumaru paused as well. "Why are you so adamant about me being Chiba's leader, Mother? I thought you favored Inuyasha."

She huffed. "You are correct that I favor Inuyasha instead of the impudent whelp that is my actual child," she said, smirking at her son's annoyed eye roll, "but you know your father had always wanted to see his two sons ruling side-by-side."

"I've ruled Father's kingdom before," he said, eyes darkening.

"The people of the former Western Lands still sing praises about its last leader."

"Time has changed," he said, not showing any reaction to his mother's comment, "I was a warrior. Then I was a ruler. And now…"

"You're lost?" she asked, showing for the first time genuine concern in their conversation.

There was a brief silence before Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Searching," he said at last.

"For…?"

He was silent again, feeling like there was something calling for him. "I do not know," he admitted, "But something is there. Something I need to find."

His mother looked up, her eyes sweeping over her son's profile, searching for any reveal to his true feelings. "You have been searching for centuries, Sesshoumaru," she said with slight concern, "At this point you're nothing more than a dog chasing his tail."

"Mother, what are you talking about?" he asked with a sharp glare, "I did my duties. I ruled and protected my people. I'd brought wealth and power to the land. Then time changed—"

She waved his comments aside with an exasperated look. "All correct, and not what I was alluding to."

"I've only started searching recently."

"No," she said with a sigh, "You seemed lost so long ago. Before Inuyasha's conception, even."

He stared at her, puzzled.

"During the battle with the Northern Lands, you had disappeared for a long period," she recalled, "We had thought you were dead when even Myouga couldn't find you."

"I…do not recall," he murmured.

"That's what's worrying," she continued, "When you had finally returned home, you seemed fine physically, but…there was something off about you."

Sesshoumaru remained silent, trying to remember the period in question, though nothing came to mind.

"You had changed somehow," she said, "You were not as ambitious as you were before. Succeeding your father seemed to no longer have been your goal. And…you spared Inuyasha and his mother when your father's trysts came to light."

"He was an infant," he said, turning away, but was stopped by his mother's words again.

"Of mixed blood between a demon lord and a human princess," she continued, "You know very well given that period of time, what a scandal that was among our kinds." She frowned, seeming hesitant with her next thought. "It was expected any child borne from a human would be executed alongside its human parent. And you spared them. You were never fond of half-breeds prior to that, so why were they an exception?"

"Are you disappointed, Mother, that I didn't punish father for his betrayal?"

"Whelp, answer my question," she said firmly, her earlier merriment gone.

"I do not know," he confessed. "To this day, I do not know why I had allowed Inuyasha to live."

"You…really do not know?" His mother questioned, seeing vacantness in her son that had been far too familiar to her for centuries now. When Sesshoumaru continued to remain silent, she took that as his affirmative answer. She sighed, feeling their conversation was reaching an end, with no new revelations that she had hoped to glean. "Well, those ears were irresistible on that little pup."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes again. "I may not know my reasoning behind a strange moment of mercy, but I can say for certainty that Inuyasha is not alive to this day because of his ears."

His mother chuckled. "Well, I have grown quite fond of that pup, in spite of your father's wayward ways." She clapped her hands together, seeming amused by a sudden thought. "Why, who knows how many other half-siblings you may have out there with interesting traits."

"You sound far too ecstatic about Father's previous affairs."

"Come now, Sesshoumaru," she started, lowering her sunglasses, "we both know your father was never discreet about his little trysts." She walked by him, laughing to herself, "But then, I suppose I never was with mine as well."

Sesshoumaru grimaced. "As lovely as this sudden meeting was, Mother," he said with restrained annoyance, "Perhaps we can extend our next get-together to five centuries."

"Impudent pup," she murmured fondly, standing on her toes as she gave her son a kiss on his cheek. She laughed when he wiped her red lipstick off his face. "See you in five centuries then, Sesshoumaru. Unless you care to join in on Inuyasha's family dinners sometimes?"

"You're not still crashing at his house and drinking his wine, are you?"

"He doesn't object."

Sesshoumaru somehow highly doubted that, watching as his mother disappeared down the road, walking past Kagome's shop without comment.

His eyes widened a fraction before he continued, stopping just below the steps leading up to the shop. He looked to the direction his mother had disappeared to before redirecting his eyes to the door. With a sigh, he climbed the short steps and entered the shop, hearing a familiar bell chiming his entrance.


	44. Jasmine

**Word Count:** 242

* * *

 **Chapter 44: Jasmine**

* * *

"You seem troubled, milord."

Sesshoumaru looked up from his seat on the sofa, seeing Kagome behind him smiling softly.

"It is nothing," he lied. Truth be told, he was still replaying his earlier conversation with his mother in his head. He wondered if she was correct in worrying, though he found nothing wrong with himself. He had played his parts. As a warrior, he had laid waste to the land in the name of the Western Lands. Then he succeeded his father and ruled honorably. He knew his name had been forever fondly engraved into the history of demons, residing alongside other praised figures, such as his father.

This new era of demons, though, he desired no part in it in spite of his mother's persistent plea and his brother's concerns. After centuries of living up to everyone's expectations, he now simply wanted to be left to his own device.

"Maybe so," Kagome laughed, stirring him out of his thoughts. She walked around the sofa, setting down a small tray with a teapot and one cup on the coffee table. She carefully poured the hot beverage into the cup before offering it to Sesshoumaru, "but perhaps some tea will make the 'nothing' more bearable."

"Jasmine?" he asked, inhaling deeply the floral scent.

"S-something the matter?"

"Not a thing," he murmured, taking another whiff before slowly drinking it, his eyes never leaving hers as he wondered why the scent seemed lovelier than normal.


	45. Discrimination

**Word Count:** 385

* * *

 **Chapter 45: Discrimination**

* * *

It had been several days since Sesshoumaru's conversation with his mother. Her concerns hung heavily in the back of his mind, but he shut them out, ignoring it as he carried on with his own life. Without his realizing it, Sesshoumaru had found himself fallen deep into a routine, spending nearly all of his waking moments at the shop with its mismatched group of inhabitants. Strangely, though, he felt unbothered by the sudden shift, feeling comfortable in their presences, though he would rather die than ever admit it aloud.

It was another fairly normal day, with one or two new customers visiting Kagome, becoming astonished by the bright promise and mystic nature surrounding the shopkeeper. Shippou was absent for most of the day, running errands, and leaving Sesshoumaru alone with Kagome and Kirara for a change.

"You do not discriminate," Sesshoumaru noted several hours later after nightfall had descended, breaking the comfortable silence that had occupied the parlor. In the months that he had spent visiting and observing the shop, Sesshoumaru had witnessed all sorts of visitors from not only humans, but several demons as well, all sharing a common goal: to have their deepest desire realized.

Kagome looked up from stroking Kirara's fur, surprised by the sudden observation. Kirara herself turned her large eyes to the dog demon for a moment in curiosity before she settled back down comfortably in her mistress' lap.

"Is that so odd?" Kagome questioned.

Sesshoumaru was silent, his mind fluttering back to his younger self many centuries ago who only saw others as lowly vermin beneath him. He believed he had changed, an unavoidable necessity once it had become clear that humans were growing stronger and more intelligent. Demons themselves either died off or were like Sesshoumaru, realizing the need to adapt and understand their growing brethren. As he pondered over a response, the door of the shop was slammed open, startling the occupants. Kirara stood up, hissing before sprinting off toward the noise with Kagome and Sesshoumaru following closely behind.

Kagome gasped quietly as she stepped forward, past the sheer drapes, seeing a bruised Shippou standing at the entrance, cradling a young battered and unconscious demoness in his arms.

"Ship—Shippou, what happened?"

"Please help her, Kagome," the fox demon pleaded desperately, his hold tightening around the demoness.


	46. Guilt

**Author's Note:** Surprise! I'll be updating _The Sorceress_ daily for a week. Happy Holidays, everyone, and thank you for reading this little story of mine!

 **Word Count:** 671

* * *

 **Chapter 46: Guilt**

* * *

"Her name is Shiori," Shippou explained after placing the injured female into a spare bed in one of the shop's many rooms. He stood a short distance away, watching as Kagome cleaned the wounds. Kirara nestled close to the young demoness, offering warmth for her. Shippou fidgeted in his spot, unconsciously rubbing at his own scars on his arm, which was already starting to heal. "She's a half-demon."

His tails twitched wildly behind him, betraying his own anxious feelings. No one said anything, so he continued speaking, "Some demon creeps seemed to have found out that she's a half-demon and attacked her while she was heading home." He groaned loudly, his hands clenching into fists. "Bastards. She's not a fighter. She has never even picked up a weapon before—"

"You seem to know her well," Kagome quipped quietly, eyes still focused on tending to her unconscious patient. She wiped Shiori's face clean with a damped cloth. "She's pretty."

Shippou's tails dropped, lying listlessly on the floor. "She makes the best daifuku in Tokyo," he said quietly, his words nearly lost on the Sorceress, before groaning loudly again, " _Dammit!_ I should have killed those fuckers right then and there!"

Sesshoumaru had been observing the scene quietly from near the door. He felt the sudden murderous aura flaring around the fox demon, seeing the gravity in his words. He turned his eyes to the young maiden, smelling the scents of several males on her. His own eyes darkened.

"I should have taught her how to defend herself," Shippou said, speaking more to himself now, "A few simple moves or spells could have protected her. I knew she was having problems. Why didn't I get there faster? Why— _why_ —"

He held his head, his words growing more dissonant as he continued yelling at himself. Kirara stood up, hissing loudly, sensing a drastic change in Shippou's aura. At the cat demon's hiss, Kagome abandoned her task, turning around as she watched her young assistant lose himself. Flickers of blue embers appeared around his feet, though it seemed he wasn't even aware of it, still lost in his self-loathing.

"Shippou—calm down, you need to foc—"

There was a burst of blue flame, engulfing Shippou for a moment. Sesshoumaru immediately moved closer to Kagome, shielding her from the fire. She looked over his shoulder, crying as she watched the flames dissipated, leaving in its spot a large eight-tailed red fox, his once bright emerald eyes were now bleeding scarlet.

"Shippou…" She tried reaching for him, but he stepped back, growling as he hunched low, his paws threatening to swipe at anyone who dared to come closer to him. She ignored his warning, pushing Sesshoumaru aside as she tried to step closer to the fox demon, but he moved back, howling as he summoned large blue will-o'-wisps to surround him in defense.

When Kagome didn't heed his warning, he sent the will-o'-wisps hurtling toward her. Sesshoumaru cried out for her to dodge, but Kagome immediately erected a light pink barrier, watching as the will-o'-wisps shattered against the barricade, turning into embers that rained down, shielding her vision.

With everyone distracted, Shippou turned on his heels, racing down the corridors and out the shop, not giving enough time for anyone to chase him.

Kagome swallowed her cries, turning to Sesshoumaru. "Please, you need to help him. Bring him back, Lord Sesshoumaru, please!"

Sesshoumaru looked into desperate eyes, nodding quietly. He had seen demons lose themselves before, acting recklessly and causing destruction in their path. It had never once occurred to him, though, that he could witness such a drastic behavior change in the normally playful fox demon.

"He won't just kill those demons," Kagome continued, her hands gripping tightly Sesshoumaru's shirt until they turned white, "He's not thinking straight. He'll harm innocent people, too, without realizing it! _Please, help him!_ "

"I'll bring him back to you," Sesshoumaru promised, leaving the shop, following after the scent of sandalwood as Kagome remained by the unconscious demoness' side.


	47. District

**Word Count:** 400

* * *

 **Chapter 47: District**

* * *

The trail Sesshoumaru chased after led him into a guarded prefecture, hidden within Tokyo under a powerful concealment spell, home to many demons, many of which were mixed blood. It was nearing midnight and many of the residents were already safe at home, though there were those who were nocturnal creatures, feeling livelier at this hour.

Sesshoumaru raised his head, taking a whiff of the brisk night air, but the familiar scent of sandalwood was overwhelmed by a myriad of other aromas now. He frowned, a little troubled by the sudden predicament. As he studied his surroundings, trying to pick up some clues as to where Shippou had disappeared to, Sesshoumaru felt the vibrations of his cellphone in his pants pocket.

His frown deepened, knowing few people were in possession of his phone number. Even fewer would call him this late at night—unless something had happened. He took a glance at the screen, his intuition on the mark when he saw his brother's name displayed.

"What happened?" he asked immediately, hoping whatever the reason for Inuyasha's call was unrelated to his current problem.

"We have a situation in Chiba District!" Inuyasha answered immediately, voice frantic, "Kouga called moments ago, saying his wolves noticed a strange fox in the area."

Sesshoumaru cursed silently.

"It's him, right? Shippou?"

Sesshoumaru relayed the events leading up to Shippou's sudden transformation and loss of control, hearing an exasperated sigh on the other end as a response.

"I don't blame him for losing it like that," Inuyasha said, his voice laced with both anger and pity, "Fuck, I wish I could say I was surprised there are still bastards like that, but…dammit, at least pick on someone who can fight back."

Sesshoumaru listened quietly to Inuyasha's rant, knowing this was a sensitive topic for his half-brother.

"How's the girl?"

"She is still unconscious last I saw her," Sesshoumaru answered, "Her injuries will heal, but mentally—"

"I get it," Inuyasha interrupted, sighing softly, "We need to find that fox quick. I cannot have him wreaking havoc in my district and harming my citizens." Inuyasha quickly set up a plan, deciding the best course of action was to split into three groups. Inuyasha, Kouga, and Sesshoumaru were each responsible for one section of the district. Whoever found Shippou first were to stall him until the others arrived.

They could only hope there would be little bloodshed.


	48. Wolf

**Word Count:** 261

* * *

 **Chapter 48: Wolf**

* * *

"God-fucking-dammit!" was the first thing Sesshoumaru heard from Kouga upon arriving at the scene after receiving a second call from Inuyasha twenty minutes earlier about Shippou. The wolf was already sporting several scars on his body, his clothes shredded from the battle he had engaged in earlier. "Where the fuck have you been, you useless dogs?"

Inuyasha arrived alongside Sesshoumaru, and he tossed a quick glare Kouga's way. "We're here, now, ok? So pipe down, you mangy wolf."

"It's a fucking eight-tailed fox demon!" Kouga yelled back, gesturing to Shippou standing a few yards away. He had formed a transparent blue dome surrounding him, his eyes still a deep scarlet as he growled defensively at the demons opposite of him. Sesshoumaru frowned, realizing a piece of demon flesh seemed to still be in Shippou's jaw. Behind him, they could make out the bloodied, mauled bodies of four male demons, who all looked like they did not have a fighting chance against the powerful fox demon. Amidst the nauseating stench of decay and blood, Sesshoumaru could make out faint floral hints of Shiori's scent on the males.

"I almost lost an arm to that beast!"

"Wolf, shut up," Sesshoumaru commanded, speaking for the first time as he took a cautious step toward Shippou.

"Are you crazy?" Kouga ignored Sesshoumaru's order, grabbing the other male's arm. "All of my wolves barely stood a chance stalling him. _I_ barely stood a chance! What are _you_ going to do?"

"Bring him home," Sesshoumaru answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.


	49. Feral

**Word Count:** 230

* * *

 **Chapter 49: Feral**

* * *

As Sesshoumaru stepped closer, he felt a spike of energy from Shippou. He looked into the fox demon's eyes, seeing no semblance of awareness. He had given in to his primitive nature, being reduced to nothing more than a feral beast consumed only by a violent rage.

"You've had your vengeance," Sesshoumaru said evenly, unperturbed by the threatening aura he felt from Shippou or the putrid scent of death surrounding them. "Now stop this foolishness and come home."

Shippou lowered his barrier, letting the demon flesh in his mouth drop to the ground as he released a vicious snarl. He lunged toward Sesshoumaru with sharp claws. Sesshoumaru narrowly dodged, feeling a small shred in his shirt sleeve. He felt momentarily surprised, realizing that in his true form, Shippou was faster and stronger than when the two of them had sparred together weeks ago.

"Sesshoumaru!"

He looked in the direction of Inuyasha's voice, seeing he was standing alongside his eldest daughter, dressed in a priestess robe, who had just arrived and carrying what appeared to be a sacred necklace in her hand.

"We need to distract him a few moments longer!" Inuyasha yelled back, "Aimi will try to subdue his demonic instincts, but she needs time to enchant this chain."

Sesshoumaru nodded and turned around, facing Shippou again. He dropped his concealment spell, raising a clawed hand dripping with green acid.


	50. Berserk

**Word Count:** 600

* * *

 **Chapter 50: Berserk**

* * *

The battle raged on with three powerful demons barely standing a chance of overpowering one fox demon. Even though his mind had been reduced to nothing more than an animal, Shippou's natural cunning wits aided in him taking on three opponents alone.

He howled, summoning clones and will-o'-wisps, all closing in on the other canines as he leapt up the side of a building to escape.

"Don't get distracted!" Sesshoumaru growled to his companions, who swiped through the decoys while narrowly dodging the will-o'-wisps. With a flick of his wrist, Sesshoumaru summoned his whip, using it to snag one of Shippou's hind legs before he got far. He yanked the whip back, slamming the fox demon to the ground, hearing only pained yelps and whimpers before his growls returned.

Sesshoumaru stepped closer, not intending to harm the fox demon any more than necessary. "Kagome is waiting for you," he said, but his words meant nothing to Shippou, "The half-demoness would not be pleased to see you like this."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in shock when blue flames flared up around Shippou's paws, breaking the hold of his whip. He stood up, unsteadily at first before gaining his balance. He was panting softly, and Sesshoumaru knew the entire ordeal was taking a toll on him.

"Stubborn as always," he muttered, using his whip again to bind the fox demon.

Before Shippou could react however, Aimi moved swiftly, placing a chain of beads around his neck as she chanted a quick spell. His movement was immediately immobilized.

"That should do it," Aimi said with a small smile, but just as she finished saying it, her eyes widened in surprise when she felt a strong pulse of energy. She leapt back when Shippou broke through her spell, thrashing wildly as he broke the whip that bound him. She swallowed nervously when he turned on her, his eyes narrowing deadly. "Shit. Papa, Uncle Sesshou, I need more time!"

Inuyasha intercepted Shippou's sudden attack when he turned on Aimi. He managed to grab hold of one of Shippou's front paws, using his own weight to flip the fox backwards and slamming him into the side of a building. Shippou immediately recovered, whimpering only once before he was back on his feet.

Within a blink of an eye, Shippou sprinted forward with more clones trailing behind him. He dodged a kick from Kouga, rounding to bite him on the arm. Kouga grunted, barely managing to shake off the fox demon. He held his arm, feeling blood trickling down from the bite wounds. "Aimi, you better hurry up there, kiddo!"

"A little bit longer!" she yelled back, pulling out paper wards from her sleeve. She quickly swiped at an oncoming decoy with her claws, barely able to focus on her main task. She let out a sigh of relief when Inuyasha arrived to keep the decoy at bay while his daughter focused on subduing Shippou.

Shippou turned around, ready to pounce on Kouga again, but Sesshoumaru used his whip once more to grab hold of the fox demon by his body. His heels dug into the ground as he pulled the fox back.

Paper wards flew through the air, attaching onto the fox demon. He howled in pain, feeling all of his energy being sapped away. Sesshoumaru relaxed, watching as Shippou fell to his side unconscious. As he stepped closer, Shippou had transformed back into his usual form. He let out a deep sigh, looking up just as his niece walked up to him.

"What a night," she sighed, smiling as she wiped the sweats from her brows.


	51. Niece

**Word Count:** 388

* * *

 **Chapter 51: Niece**

* * *

"It's good to see you again, Uncle Sesshou," Aimi said, enveloping her uncle into a warm hug. Sesshoumaru stiffly patted the young demoness' snow white head as his brother rolled his eyes.

"Cut it out, Aimi, you know he's allergic to feelings," Inuyasha said, smirking when he received a cold glare from his brother.

"He is not, Papa," his daughter protested, releasing her uncle from the sudden embrace. "Uncle Sesshou is just on a different wavelength than all of us."

"You are looking more and more like your mother every day," Sesshoumaru mused, though it had been centuries since Kikyou had passed away, "How fortunate you did not take after my idiotic brother."

Aimi giggled as her father yelled in protests before relenting gloomily, "Well, I'm glad she looks like her mother, too!"

"That fox demon, Uncle Sesshou," Aimi spoke again, redirecting the conversation to the unconscious Shippou, "Do you know him?"

Sesshoumaru nodded.

"I heard there was a powerful fox demon that likes coming to Chiba for sweets. I would never imagine this would be him," she mused quietly, "He is strong. It took everything I had to calm his rage. What will you do with him?"

"Take him home," Sesshoumaru said the same thing he had told Kouga earlier again, "And give him a good beating later."

"You must have such a soft spot for him, Uncle Sesshou."

"Do not spout foolish things, Aimi," Sesshoumaru scolded his niece, who seemed unbothered by the admonishment, seeing through her uncle's thinly-veiled act.

"Will you come to dinner sometimes, Uncle Sesshou?" Aimi asked, unaware that it was a similar request her father had made weeks earlier. "My mate was hoping to have another sparring match with you sometimes."

"Dumb cat can barely beat me," Inuyasha muttered under his breath, earning a quick scolding from his daughter. He flattened his ears, vexed by his sudden loss of favor within the family.

"We'll see, Aimi," Sesshoumaru answered, walking over to pick up Shippou, throwing him easily over his shoulder. "I have pressing matters to tend to now."

She nodded understandably, but there was still a hint of sadness flickering across her features. "You should come to Chiba more often."

"I have no business here," he said, walking away.

"Not even with family?"

He was silent, and then he sighed, "We'll see."


	52. Remorse

**Word Count:** 100

* * *

 **Chapter 52: Remorse**

* * *

By the time they had returned to the shop, Shippou had already regained consciousness, though his memory of what had transpired in the past hours was hazy. He wiped at the dried blood on his face, knowing something had happened.

"Hey."

Sesshoumaru stopped at the entrance, turning around to peer at the sullen demon, who pointedly avoided eye contact.

"Sorry," he mumbled, "And thanks."

"Just keep your temper in check," Sesshoumaru responded, opening the door. He felt a spike in energy before it ebbed away, simmering quietly. He sensed Shippou following after him into the shop where Kagome waited nervously.


	53. Exhaustion

**Word Count:** 217

* * *

 **Chapter 53: Exhaustion**

* * *

"Were there any casualties?" Kagome asked quietly, standing with Sesshoumaru outside Shiori's room where Shippou had immediately went to. He now sat next to the bed, his head resting in his arms on the mattress tiredly as he slept while waiting for the half-demoness to wake from her own slumber.

"Just those who deserved it," he responded.

He heard a sigh of relief.

"And…injuries?"

"Just a wolf."

Kagome's eyes widened in shock.

"He can handle a few scratches," Sesshoumaru reassured her immediately, though he could still see hints of doubt in her eyes.

"Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru," Kagome said quietly, turning her eyes back to her assistant. "He doesn't always go berserk like that, but…he doesn't handle it well when he feels he had failed protecting people he cares about."

"Even the strongest fall," Sesshoumaru observed.

He could hear a soft, humorless laugh from his companion. "I know it well," she murmured softly, her words nearly lost on his heightened hearing. "It's late and you must be tired," she continued quickly before he could question her, "Please stay the night in one of the rooms, Lord Sesshoumaru."

He was about to decline, but his own exhaustion won out against his stubbornness. He agreed, feeling strangely pleased when he saw her first real smile after the whole event.


	54. Morning

**Word Count:** 305

* * *

 **Chapter 54: Morning**

* * *

Sesshoumaru left his room early the following morning. He still had trouble navigating the corridors by himself, resigned to just going wherever the shop decided to lead him. Incidentally, it wasn't long before he found himself standing outside Shiori's room, hearing its two occupants awake now.

"You need to get better," he heard Shippou say from inside the room. He stole a glance, seeing the fox demon mustering up his usual grin from his seat by the bed. "If I'm good, will you make me your strawberry daifuku?"

"It's not spring," Shiori said, answering with her own weak smile, though the gesture was painful. She nervously played with her silvery hair, which was a stark contrast to her tanned skin. Sesshoumaru could see that her demon blood had helped healed most of her physical injuries, leaving not a scratch on her.

"Doesn't matter," Shippou said, eyes turning somber when he saw her winced, "I only want to eat your strawberry daifuku."

Sesshoumaru noticed immediately the light blush staining across the half-demoness' cheeks, which strangely stirred his own memories. He felt like something similar had happened before in his own life, though he was unsure why he would even think such a ridiculous thing.

"Lord Sesshoumaru?"

He turned around, seeing Kagome standing there, fidgeting nervously. She bowed her head gratefully. "Thank you again for bringing him home to me."

"A promise is a promise," he answered, watching as she straightened, smiling through her sudden tears.

"You're kind," she said softly, seeing an annoyed scowl passed over his features. She laughed to herself, "I would have never expected you to be sympathetic to half-demons."

"It's complicated," he said instead.

Kagome looked at him knowingly. "Your brother?"

"Or something," he muttered, walking past her, just as she responded.

"Or something," she agreed. "Have a good day, Lord Sesshoumaru."


	55. Exceptions

**Author's Note:** I hope you all have enjoyed the updates. I'd posted the rest of the Shippou/Shiori arc to wrap this up. With that said, I'm sorry to say that I will be placing _The Sorceress_ on an indefinite hiatus and altogether taking a break from writing. It's been an emotionally unstable time for me these past few months. The recent and sudden loss of a singer who I have loved and admired since I was a teenager finally broke me and I just need time to process and grieve. I'm sorry to disappoint all of you, but once I pull myself back, I promise I'll bombard you with daily updates to make up for lost time.

Merry Christmas and I hope 2018 will be kind to all of you.

 **Word Count:** 205

* * *

 **Chapter 55: Exceptions**

* * *

It was over a week later when Sesshoumaru returned, finding only Kagome in her shop.

"Kirara scurried off somewhere," Kagome explained, "She likes her current form very much, but I think she sometimes misses being in her real form and going wherever she pleases."

Sesshoumaru nodded, understanding the cat demon's sentiments well. Lately, he frequently let himself return to his other form, and it felt surprisingly freeing. He wondered if there would ever come a day when his true form would reemerge, but he decided to not linger too long on these despairing feelings.

"The fox?"

Kagome smiled. "He's been visiting Shiori," she answered, "He said he wanted daifuku, but he acts more like a nervous schoolboy in love." She shook her head quietly. "Now there's an image I'd never thought I'd see."

Sesshoumaru pondered over Kagome's explanation. "The half-demoness. Shiori," he started, "She was allowed entrance into the shop as well."

She nodded, understanding where his thought was headed. "The shop does allow people in who do not have any business here. In this case, it was because it recognized Shippou's desire to have her here."

"Will she be allowed back?"

Kagome's smile returned brightly. "Oh, I think it'll have fun messing with Shippou."


	56. Waiting

**Author's Note:** I had wanted to come back to writing sooner, but everything has just been so miserable. So after dealing with so many personal issues, stress, and the joy of surprise laptop problems, I tentatively will _try_ to resume my previous writing schedule.

Words cannot convey how thankful I am to everyone who had left kind words and were understanding about my decision to take a break. You are all amazing, and I hope you will enjoy the updates and any new stories I have lined up. As previously promised, I will do a daily update for two weeks to thank everyone for their patience and continuous support. Hope you enjoy these chapters!

* * *

 **Chapter 56: Waiting**

* * *

 _Gone for a week. Be back soon! – The Sorceress_

 _Maybe. – Shippou_

Sesshoumaru stared at the two different notes hastily tacked onto the Shop's door, befuddled by Kagome's sudden leave. Since his last conversation with her weeks ago in the aftermath of Shippou's blinded vengeance, it had seemed he was beginning to understand her, but he realized now that she continued to do as she pleased.

She was a fairly aggravating woman with such whimsy impulses, he realized, though he himself might be the more foolish of the two, given how attached to her he seemed to have become as of late. As irritating a thought as it may be, he realized he had become a dog waiting for his mistress to return, though he would also rather disembowel himself with his deceased father's sword than ever admit such a ludicrous thought aloud.

It was pointless to wait at her door, and so Sesshoumaru turned away. He climbed down the steps and stood on the sidewalk, feeling a gentle breeze rustling his hair. He looked in the direction of the wind, feeling something was calling for him.

He closed his eyes briefly, and then exhaled, taking the first step toward Chiba.


	57. Reminisce

**Author's Note:** Just as a heads up: once the daily updates end, we will return to the previous schedule of new chapters every Thursday, _but_ there might be more frequent skips depending on how busy I am. I'd just like to clarify that this story will in no way be abandoned (most of the main plot and ending have all been written! …We just need to somehow get there first, heh.).

As always, thanks for the continuous support! I have enjoyed reading all of the reviews for this little story of mine!

 **Word Count:** 242

* * *

 **Chapter 57: Reminisce**

* * *

Chiba was just another part of Tokyo, a secret district, hidden by a powerful spell and home to many demons and any human partners chosen. Risen from nothing, in a time when demons had nowhere to turn to since being deemed as only folklores, a selected few had created this haven for those unable or unwilling to shed their true self in favor of a disguise to live alongside humans.

The dog demon clan of the former Western Lands held the power, being the first ones to see humans as something more. The family ruled with the same wisdom and grace as it did centuries ago.

It was far from the dream of his father, to have humans and demons come together in unity, but it was the first step. Whether or not the day demons will emerge from their sanctuary mattered little to Sesshoumaru. He acknowledged his father's ambition, but it was not his.

Besides—

Sesshoumaru slowly opened the office door of the Western Tower finding a white head laid flat on the desk and two triangular ears twitching before stilling.

 _This is his and Inuyasha's dream_ , he mused, striding in and sitting down at a chair opposite his sleeping brother. His elbow rested on the chair's arm, and he propped his face against his hand. He watched the sleeping half-demon with mild fondness, remembering a time so long ago when there was a little lost pup stumbling into his care.


	58. Rumors

**Word Count:** 126

* * *

 **Chapter 58: Rumors**

* * *

There was a rumor.

The Great Inu no Taishou had sired a child with a princess, but it was not just any princess. He had taken a human princess to bed and fathered a half-breed with the filthy creature. As firstborn and the heir of the Inu no Taishou, it was his duty to put to rest any baseless rumors, execution being the most accepted solution among demons.

Sesshoumaru had never cared for rumors, and his father's trysts mattered even less. He felt no obligation to listen to the wills of lower demons. As long as the whelp and his human mother did not interfere with his destiny, they were nothing more than troublesome fleas, free to do whatever.

And so Sesshoumaru turned a blind eye.


	59. Duties

**Word Count:** 190

* * *

 **Chapter 59: Duties**

* * *

His father was weak. He was cunning and powerful, but he was weak in many other regards. His fondness for his human family being what had drove him straight to an early grave. Even in death, though, the unfaithful smeared his once great name with lies and scorn.

He may not—may _never_ —understand his father's fondness for those creatures, but he would not allow someone to taint his name and legacy. A little blood on his claws was enough to end the gossips and vile slanders.

It did not, however, lift the weight he felt on his shoulders. For centuries, his father had molded him to become one of the greatest warriors and rulers the Western Land would ever have. Sesshoumaru had no doubt in his ability to rule, to become stronger and greater than any demons in existence.

Still, he wondered why he felt uneased, feeling somehow both weighed down and empty inside.

 _Something is missing, Father_ , he mused silently before the Inu no Taishou's tomb.

Knowing the dead would never answer him, Sesshoumaru carried on with the firm resolution to bury everything that would hinder his destiny.


	60. Brothers

**Word Count:** 710

* * *

 **Chapter 60: Brothers**

* * *

The usual mundane duties as ruler continued to seize Sesshoumaru's attention. Daily meetings have long replaced his former freedom of roaming across Japan, fighting when necessary, and training when he pleased. He listened, dutifully, to the wide array of subjects brought on by his court: there was a territory dispute between a snake and lizard demon, rebels were planning an uprising, demon exterminators were closing in on demon territories, and so on and so on.

Just as Sesshoumaru was about to address his advisor, his ears perked up at the sound of small feet pattering through the halls outside the room, which was followed by several larger feet.

"Milord?" his advisor looked at him with concern, seeming to also sense the approaching party.

"Get back here, you abomination!" came the cry of a guard.

Within seconds the door slid open and Sesshoumaru's eyes met a similar, but fearful, golden gaze.

"Older Brother—!"

"Gotcha!" A guard grabbed at the collar of the little half-demon, easily lifting him off the ground.

"Pardon the intrusion, Lord Sesshoumaru," another guard apologized, "We will deal with this filthy trespasser swiftly and—"

"Older Brother!" the little pup cried again, struggling against his captor. He kicked viciously at the demon holding him. "Let me go!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes went immediately to the bruises and dried blood covering his half-brother. "Release him," he commanded to several shocked demons, "Now."

The guard acquiesced, roughly releasing the half-demon. He immediately stiffened when he received a sharp glare from his lord.

"Everyone, leave," he ordered, watching until the last person had left the room, closing the door with a respectful bow.

He turned his gaze back to his trembling brother. "What are you doing here, half-breed?"

"Inuyasha!" he shouted back defiantly, "I've told you, my name is Inuyasha!"

Sesshoumaru stared at him evenly. "Answer my question," he repeated, monotone, "Inuyasha."

The young pup's ears drooped. "Mother…Mother is dead."

"And?"

"I…I didn't know where to go."

"What makes you think I will welcome a half-breed into my home?"

Inuyasha's bloodied feet shuffled nervously, his hands clasped behind his back. "I…you didn't kill us. So I thought…"

"An unusual moment of fleeting mercy," Sesshoumaru answered curtly, "It does not mean I will be charitable to a half-breed for his entire life."

"I don't expect you to be," Inuyasha insisted, "I just…"

Before Sesshoumaru could even call for the guards again, he sensed a familiar presence approaching. It wasn't long before the door slid open again to reveal a beautiful dog demoness, her eyes briefly landed coldly on the lone pup. Inuyasha hesitantly backed away from the intimidating figure.

"May I help you, Mother?" Sesshoumaru inquired, unfazed.

"I heard your father's little bastard was in the palace."

Inuyasha flinched. He kept his eyes lowered during the exchange, but he raised his head again when he felt himself lifted off the ground and held in a tight embrace.

"H-hey…" He relaxed his protests when he felt a gentle clawed finger stroke his muddied cheek.

"My, my," Sesshoumaru's mother murmured in soft amazement, "There is a quality about him that is unmistakably inherited from the Inu no Taishou."

Inuyasha perked up at the sound of his father's title. He looked wonderingly into the demoness' eyes, his ears twitching with anticipation for more information about his father.

"How darling," she cooed, giving his ear a tweak. Her earlier frosty expression melted away, revealing a warm smile.

"Watch it!" Inuyasha protested, forgetting his earlier fears. He batted at the demoness' hand, eliciting even more delighted laughter from her.

"He is not a pet, Mother," Sesshoumaru said with a roll of his eyes.

"No, but he is pretty darling for a half-breed," she mused. She petted the little pup's head gently when his ears drooped at the slur. "Let us go…"

She raised a brow at the pup in her arms.

"…Inuyasha," he mumbled back, eyes cast downwards.

"Inuyasha," she said, "You will need a bath. And proper clothing. And…" She smirked at her son. "Your older brother will teach you the ways of our clan."

Sesshoumaru glared at his mother's retreating figure. Over her shoulder, Inuyasha peeked at the older dog demon with wondering eyes, and Sesshoumaru turned away, returning his attention back to his meeting notes.


	61. Silhouettes

**Word Count:** 253

* * *

 **Chapter 61: Silhouettes**

* * *

Sesshoumaru was about to retire for the night. He strode through the halls, passing several rooms along the way. As he approached his mother's quarter, he heard her speaking with Inuyasha as she was presumably tending to him still. Through the paper shoji door, he saw the silhouettes of the two figures illuminated by the lantern inside.

"And how did you get these bruises, little one?"

There was a quiet shuffling noise before Inuyasha finally spoke. "People."

"Humans?" she asked in astonishment. Her hand rested on top of the young silvery-white head. She tutted quietly. "Barbarians all of them."

Inuyasha immediately shook his head. "Humans…throw stones at me. Demons chase me. Want to kill me." His ears flattened. "No one wants me. Only Mother, but…"

Sesshoumaru could smell salt permeating the air.

"Chin up," the demoness reprimanded the young pup she had taken a liking to, "You are a child of the Inu no Taishou. Assert your place and respect will follow."

"Huh?" the little pup cocked his head to the side in utter confusion.

The demoness chuckled. "Rest now, pup."

Inuyasha yawned, already laying down on the futon. It seemed whatever ordeal he had gone through had drained him completely, because it didn't take long for him to fall asleep. The demoness stroked his head fondly before she blew out the flame in her lantern.

"Good night, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru remained still, and then answered quietly, "Good night, Mother."

He continued walking, noticing quietly that the moon was close to disappearing once more.


	62. Spar

**Word Count:** 520

* * *

 **Chapter 62: Spar**

* * *

The courtyard rang with the sound of metal clashing against metal. Sesshoumaru pushed all of his weight forward, easily overpowering his opponent within seconds until his spar partner fell to the ground with the apex of Sesshoumaru's sword pointed at the other dog demon's throat. The demon gulped nervously before exhaling in relief when Sesshoumaru pulled his sword back, sheathing it back into its scabbard.

Sesshoumaru extended a hand to his opponent, easily pulling the other demon to his feet. As he was about to comment on his partner's form, he was interrupted by a loud squawk in the near distance, which was followed by a mischievous boy's voice.

"Surrender, Jaken! I, Inuyasha, the second son of the Inu no Taishou will not rest until you are vanquished!"

Before long, an imp demon came running from a thicket of trees, tripping only at Sesshoumaru's feet and covered in bruises. Soon enough, Inuyasha came running out, brandishing a wooden sword and about ready to strike Jaken when—

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said, stopping his brother mid-swing.

Jaken breathed a sigh of relief while Inuyasha looked at his older brother guiltily.

"Your form is incorrect," he stated simply, seeing his brother's face instantly widening in a grin as he corrected his stance to Jaken's great dismay.

Sesshoumaru looked to his side when he heard a low chuckle.

"Who would have thought having a half-breed around would be this much fun?"

"He is not here for entertainment, Yori."

"Why is he here then, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru looked at his brother "playing" with Jaken. Though his mother was the one who had insisted they keep Inuyasha within their care, he didn't need to listen to her. He was the ruler of the Western Land, not her. He could have just left Inuyasha to fend for himself in the wild.

And yet—he couldn't. Maybe it was his father's will. No, that was not correct. When he looked at Inuyasha, there was something about him that seemed to draw out a more merciful side of Sesshoumaru he didn't even knew he possessed. Not because they were family, not because Sesshoumaru was becoming a compassionate being, no, Inuyasha seemed to remind Sesshoumaru unconsciously of—

"Older Brother?"

He snapped out of his thought when he felt a small tug on his clothes. He looked down into his brother's bright golden eyes.

"Older Brother? Spar with me!"

"You will lose."

"I don't care, spar with me!"

"Inuyasha—"

"Oh, please, Lord Sesshoumaru, spar with the young Lord Inuyasha!" Jaken groveled at the older dog demon's feet, unable to find any more strength to care for the rambunctious pup somehow placed in his charge. He passed out soon after, unaware of the snickering that came from the half-demon.

"Inuyasha…"

"Hm?" He looked up at his brother, grinning widely. "I didn't hit him _too_ hard this time, promise!"

"Go on, Lord Sesshoumaru," Yori said cheerfully, "I will clear everything away."

Sesshoumaru sighed, knowing he was outnumbered. Inuyasha's grin seemed to have grown even wider as he took his brother's hand, already dragging him away as he hollered over his shoulder, "Thanks, Yori!"


	63. Ladies

**Word Count:** 635

* * *

 **Chapter 63: Ladies**

* * *

Sesshoumaru frowned.

Inuyasha grimaced.

The two advisors carried on, unaware, citing name after name of demonesses the former lord had received as prospective mates for his eldest son. Sesshoumaru, dutifully, kept his eyes on the two advisors, though he also noticed Inuyasha's antics to the side.

"Lady Kame enjoys spending her days by the water of her grandfather's palace," one of the advisors commented.

Inuyasha did a long, slow yawn, making a reference to the demoness' tortoise heritage.

Sesshoumaru's face remained neutral.

"Ah, but Lady Rika is a beauty among beauties," the other advisor interjected.

Inuyasha pinched his nose and mouthed "skunk" at his older brother when the two oblivious advisors turned away.

Sesshoumaru stifled an amused smirk.

"Ah!" the first advisor exclaimed, unknowingly startling the lone pup in the room. "But if milord wishes to keep his bloodline pure, there is also Lady Miyako, the fairest dog demoness in the land, second to only the Lady Mother."

Sesshoumaru took a peek over to Inuyasha, who blankly stared back, mouthing simply, "Actual bitch."

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, I believe we should table this discussion for another day."

"But milord! You have been putting off choosing a mate for decades now!"

Sesshoumaru raised a brow. "Are you, perhaps, questioning my decision?"

"N-no, milord!"

"Lord Sesshoumaru is correct! We will retire for the day, if it pleases, Lord Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru gave a curt nod, watching as the two demons exited his study with a respectful bow. Once the shoji door slid shut, he heard a snort to his side.

"Cowards," Inuyasha said with a roll of his eyes.

"And may I ask why you are hiding from your calligraphy lessons with Jaken?" Sesshoumaru stared at his brother, who seemed insistent on remaining by his side no matter how much he tried to reject the half-demon.

"Jaken's…sick," Inuyasha mumbled obscurely, darting his eyes to the side.

"You reek of deceptions."

"I need to be here!" Inuyasha pouted at the older demon. "Anything that has to do with Father, I want to be here to listen!"

"Including listening in on the matter of prospective mates?"

"W-well," Inuyasha sulked. "I don't want Older Brother to choose any of them."

"I have no intention to," he answered, "though why does it matter to you?"

"They don't seem right," Inuyasha mumbled back. "You don't seem happy about it either."

"Happiness does not matter when choosing a mate," Sesshoumaru said, "What matters is how beneficial the union can be for me and my land."

"Mother said she was happy with Father," Inuyasha said under his breath, but he quickly bit his bottom lip when he realized the implications in his words. He hesitantly looked up, meeting his brother's cold stare. "Older Brother?"

"Happiness is an illusion created by fools who have nothing else to live for."

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head. "But," Inuyasha hesitated, and then he continued, determined to prove his brother wrong, "Lady Mother said she was happy with Father, too."

"Their union was one of benefits," Sesshoumaru answered indifferently, "It is what humans would call 'an arranged marriage'."

"But she said she was happy," Inuyasha repeated sadly, "Father, too."

"You are still young and foolish."

"So you were never happy with someone before, Older Brother?"

The door slid open before Sesshoumaru could answer his brother. Servants piled in, carrying trays of tea and snacks. Inuyasha, seemingly forgetting the conversation, planted himself firmly in front of the plate of snacks, his smile was one of pure delight.

Sesshoumaru watched as a servant poured tea into his cup, and he smelled jasmine filling the air. As the servants prepared to leave, it started raining outside. The cool air and warmth of the tea felt strangely nostalgic, though Sesshoumaru thought nothing more as he watched his younger brother enjoyed the snacks.


	64. Missing

**Word Count:** 270

* * *

 **Chapter 64: Missing**

* * *

"He is gone!"

Sesshoumaru looked away from the map he was studying to see his mother at the door of his study, looking more worried than he had ever seen her in his entire life.

"Who is gone?"

"Inuyasha!" she entered the room, her face paler than normal. "He had never shown up for dinner. The servants said he had never returned from his training since this morning."

Sesshoumaru stood up and looked out his window. The sky was pitch black, a perfect cloak for predators to prey on the weak.

"He has been acting strange lately," his mother murmured, more to herself, "You do not suppose he had ran away from home?"

"Nonsense," Sesshoumaru answered, knowing Inuyasha had nowhere else to turn to. Leaving the Western Land's protection at this age would be suicidal for the little half-demon. Still, he realized he didn't know what had caused his brother to disappear. He wondered distantly if perhaps rogue demons may have ambushed the young pup. He also considered the chance of enemy clans kidnapping the half-demon and holding him as hostage against the Western Land.

Whatever may have happened, he knew standing still and wondering would get him nowhere. He swiftly left his study, with his mother trailing behind him.

"Sesshoumaru? Where are you going?" she questioned him, her steps falling behind his hasty pace, which to keen eyes may seemed to have quickened steadily with each step.

"I will bring him home," he answered, stopping at the entrance of the palace. The guards opened the gates upon his presence, and Sesshoumaru disappeared into the dark land without another word.


	65. Denial

**Word Count:** 314

* * *

 **Chapter 65: Denial**

* * *

The first drop of rain fell, landing on Sesshoumaru's cheek as he sped through the dark forest.

The air was crisp, and a storm was approaching. He knew he had to be quick in searching for his brother's scent before the rain washed everything away. He had searched through the usual locations of where Inuyasha had preferred to explore and play, but there was no recent scent of the young half-demon.

Sesshoumaru growled in frustration. He had been searching for hours, and he knew the more time passed, the more unlikely it would be for him to find his brother. Lightning flashed across the sky, following shortly by a loud, low rumble of thunder that immediately shook Sesshoumaru out of his thoughts.

"Just a half-demon," he murmured to himself, "One less half-demon in the world."

He sped through the forest with renewed strength.

"Half-breed, abomination, weak…" He stopped in his track, picking up a familiar scent mixed with blood. He turned sharply in the direction of the mingling scents. _Inuyasha…!_

He ran to the edge of the forest, finding a cliff looming over the sea.

There were three dead lower-class demons surrounding a familiar-shaped body. He paused, his sharp eyes noticing a distinct difference in the figure. He walked past the corpses, his foot easily crushing the bloodied wooden sword that seemed to have aided his brother. He knelt to the ground, and carefully lifted the young pup's body up. He ran a hand through his brother's hair, watching as dark strands fell away to rest against the half-demon's muddied cheek.

Sesshoumaru felt something cold on his own cheek. He looked to the dark sky as more raindrops fell, coming down even harder than before. He cursed under his breath before he stood up, his brother carefully tucked close to his chest as he left the clearing, searching for shelter from the oncoming storm.


	66. Cave

**Word Count:** 509

* * *

 **Chapter 66: Cave**

* * *

Sesshoumaru entered a drafty cave. Gently, he lowered his unconscious brother to the ground, hearing a soft groan escaped his lips. Slowly, Inuyasha opened his eyes, and just as he started to get up, he cried out when he felt a sharp pain coursed through his body.

"Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's eyes opened wider at the sound of the voice.

"Ol-Older Brother…"

"You are a human."

Sesshoumaru sensed his brother's heart speeding up in terror at the observation. "Relax," he commanded, "And explain yourself."

Inuyasha flustered. "Every new moon…" he started, his eyes quickly lowered, "My demon side disappears, and I turn…into a human."

"Clearly," Sesshoumaru murmured, though it seemed this wasn't what he had wanted to hear from his brother, "Now explain why you have disappeared from the palace."

Inuyasha looked up this time, his earlier fear seemed to have been forgotten. "I'm _human!_ " When his older brother remained silent, Inuyasha sighed in exasperation, "Didn't you see those demons out there?! I am _prey_ for them on these nights!"

"Hence why you should have remained within the palace care."

Inuyasha continued to stare at his brother incredulously. "Are you not listening to me? Demons _hate_ humans!"

Sesshoumaru remained unperturbed. "And you are Inuyasha, second son of the Inu no Taishou," he said calmly, "And younger brother of the current Lord of the Western Land."

"I…" Inuyasha rubbed furiously at his cheeks, feeling hot tears burning in his eyes. "Doesn't matter," he mumbled, sniffing. "Just a weak human."

Sesshoumaru raised a brow. "Three demons," he said, kneeling down to his brother's eye level, "Against a half-demon in his human form with only a wooden sword for defense." Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the dark cave just long enough for Inuyasha's human eyes to catch the faintest of smile from his stoic brother, "An impressive outcome."

Thunder followed shortly afterwards, and Inuyasha flinched at the sudden noise. He looked up in surprise when he felt himself lifted from his place and held close to Sesshoumaru's chest. The older demon leaned back against the cave wall, and sighed, "Rest. We will return home when the storm passes."

"Home," Inuyasha murmured the strange, yet comforting, word in delight. He grinned. "I _did_ kill one of the demons before I changed. See, I used my claws and I did this really, really cool—"

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru, with eyes still closed, interrupted the half-demon's excited sharing with one firm command, "Sleep."

Inuyasha immediately shut his mouth tightly. He yawned, hearing the sound of the storm easing. The gentle patters of the raindrops, along with the warmth, and sense of protection from his brother was proven enough to claim the tired half-demon into a deep slumber.

Hearing the soft, even breathing, Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and looked down at the young child in his arms. He did not understand what he was feeling, but he wondered briefly if what he had felt earlier was what their father had felt in his final moments.

Sesshoumaru thought back to Inuyasha's earlier story, and he smirked in amusement. _Impressive._


	67. Supper

**Word Count:** 291

* * *

 **Chapter 67: Supper**

* * *

His brother stirred.

Sesshoumaru watched the half-demon let out a loud, undignified yawn. He rubbed at his eyes, blinking several times until his vision came into focus. He scowled.

"Did you have a pleasant nap?" Sesshoumaru inquired evenly, out of courtesy.

"I did," Inuyasha snorted, "Until I realized there was a weirdo watching me sleep."

"Hn," Sesshoumaru responded, rolling his eyes. At times, he wondered how that scared little pup from centuries ago had grown up to be so arrogant and crass. Still, as he looked past his brother to the grand skyscape looming behind him through the window, Sesshoumaru felt a twinge of pride knowing that same little pup had also grown up to be the kind of leader worthy of being part of the Western Dog Demon clan's legacy.

Inuyasha stretched, giving a satisfied groan when he felt his muscles loosening. "Fancy seeing your ancient ass here," he yawned again, "What's up, Bro?"

"Chiba is looking well," he responded, ignoring his brother's usual crass side remarks.

"What, did you expect it to go up in flames since your last visit?" Inuyasha asked dryly, rolling his own eyes at his brother this time, "I thought you didn't like Chiba."

"I have no opinion regarding it," Sesshoumaru answered.

"So…you're just visiting me for kicks?"

"In a way, I suppose," he responded with a shrug.

"Weirdo," Inuyasha chuckled, cracking a grin, "I'm starving. There's a great ramen joint a few blocks away."

"I will decline—"

"Nope!" Inuyasha chirped brightly, already standing up, "Since you have no problem watching your little bro sleep, you will also join him for supper!"

Half-heartedly, Sesshoumaru stood up and followed after Inuyasha. He paused at the door upon hearing Inuyasha's cheerful quip:

"Remember: slurping is encouraged!"

* * *

 **Endnote:** Did I write these chapters for some backstory or did I write them just to end with the image that Sesshoumaru is required to slurp ramen?

You should know me by now.


	68. Ramen

**Word Count:** 1053

* * *

 **Chapter 68: Ramen**

* * *

"Best ramen in all of Chiba!" Inuyasha declared with a loud, satisfying slurp of the last noodle in his third bowl. He wiped at his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt, grinning, as he yelled to the chef behind the counter, "Another bowl!"

Sesshoumaru, still on his first bowl, raised a brow at his brother. "A bottomless pit still, I see."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he said, grinning again when a new steaming bowl was set down in front of him, "I have a fast metabolism." He picked up some noodles with his chopsticks and proceeded to slurp it all down in record time. "Now quit being a dainty lady and eat already! Don't elders have to eat early or something?"

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru's voice dropped an octave lower in warning.

"He's still the same rambunctious pup, isn't he, Lord Sesshoumaru?" a hearty male chuckle from behind the counter grabbed Sesshoumaru's attention.

"Yori?" Sesshoumaru looked at the familiar dog demon behind the counter with astonishment.

Yori bowed his head in respect to his former lord, his long, dark ponytail fell over his shoulder. He straightened, grinning. "I guess it is surprising that I would end up owning a ramen restaurant after all of these years."

"Inuyasha, what is the meaning of this?"

"Nothing!" he answered, offended, with a mouthful of food. "I was hungry and Yori makes the best ramen ever!" He raised the bowl to his mouth and slurp some of the soup. He set the bowl back down on the counter, let out one big, undignified belch before he wiped his mouth again with the sleeve of his shirt. "Ain't my fault you don't know what happened to all of your demons!"

"Anyone would be surprised to see the Commanding Captain of the Former Western Land army owning a ramen restaurant, Inuyasha," Yori chuckled. He paused and glanced at the four bowls of ramen from the half-demon, "Although your daughter did tell me to cut you off at four bowls."

"Aimi?!" Inuyasha stared at the older dog demon in shock, "My dear daughter would deprive her dutiful father of his few joys in life?"

"Actually, it was Asami," Yori quipped, "Fiery child that girl is."

"That girl is always nagging at me," Inuyasha grumbled, though to both Sesshoumaru and Yori's keen hearing, they heard the affectionate nuance in Inuyasha's voice, "She must have taken after your mother."

"My mother?" Sesshoumaru raised a brow in confusion.

"Yeah, don't you remember? Asami was my last child before…" Inuyasha's voice trailed off briefly, his earlier merriment seemed to have disappeared for a moment before he recomposed himself. "Anyway, Kikyou was too sick at the time to care for her, so your mother took an immense liking to Asami and I guess she resembled me the most when she was a kid." Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders as he swirled the soup in his ramen bowl around with his chopsticks.

Inuyasha cleared his throat loudly when he realized the atmosphere had grown heavier. "Speaking of whom, tell that crazy old lady of yours to stop crashing at my house and stealing my booze!"

Yori snickered. "This is the same pup that used to go with Lady Mother everywhere," Yori said, "including to hot springs with her female friends, if I recall correctly."

Inuyasha's face turned bright red. "Hey, I was just a pup!"

"Alright, alright, alright, I apologize," Yori said with an easy smile. He turned to Sesshoumaru suddenly, "And have you taken a mate since then, milord?"

"Yori, you do not have to keep addressing—"

"Keh!" Inuyasha interrupted his brother. "This old fart is going to die alone. He has no one, and I mean _no one!_ "

Sesshoumaru glared while Yori looked on in surprise.

"Really? Lord Sesshoumaru was always one of the most attractive demons with several admirers in the court," Yori seemed to recall, "As a matter of fact, I believe the daughter of the Lady of the Former Eastern Land still has her heart set on Lord Sesshoumaru even after all of these centuries."

Inuyasha snorted. "That crazy serpent? No thanks."

"No respect intended, Inuyasha, but I do believe it should be Lord Sesshoumaru's opinion regarding the lady?"

"But I don't even want him to _consider_ her as a suitor!" Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head in a petulant manner. To both older demons, the half-demon truly looked just like he did many centuries ago when he was still just a child. "I cannot deal with those serpents being in-laws to us!"

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes at the whole ludicrous conversation taking place in front of him. "If we are finished discussing my love life…"

"Nonexistent as it may be," Inuyasha quipped cheerfully, earning an instant ear tweak from his brother as reprimand. He rubbed his ear, scowled, and then brightened again. "Although…"

"'Although…?'" Yori repeated with interest.

"He has been spending a lot of time with this one woman."

Sesshoumaru stiffened, though his expression remained neutral.

"She calls herself 'The Sorceress.'"

"The Sorceress?" Yori muttered, his interest truly peaked by now, "I've heard of her from customers. I didn't think she exists."

"Yeah, she's a fucking hoarder, but not a bad chick."

"Language, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru admonished his brother.

Inuyasha ignored the scolding. "She seems to be the only thing he's interested in lately."

"She must be such a beauty as to capture milord's attention," Yori said, seemingly pleased by the news.

"Her beauty does not matter," Sesshoumaru cut it, "Our situation has nothing to do with whatever you two imbeciles are thinking of."

"Your words wound, milord," Yori responded, unoffended, "I am merely pleased to know you are doing well."

"He's so good at lying to himself," Inuyasha scoffed. "Whatever! Another bowl, Yori!"

"I apologize, Inuyasha, but I do not wish to incur your daughter's wrath," Yori smiled pleasantly, and then tossed a wry look to Sesshoumaru, "Or from Lord Sesshoumaru's mother."

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, glowering. " _Women!_ " He then elbowed his brother. "Guess you can't feel my pain, eh, Bro?"

Sesshoumaru looked to his cold ramen bowl and thought of the Sorceress who always seemed to be concerned about his own wellbeing. As Yori and Inuyasha continued their idle chatters and reminiscing, Sesshoumaru wondered how Kagome was faring wherever she may be at this moment.


	69. Gratitude

**Word Count:** 300

* * *

 **Chapter 69: Gratitude**

* * *

Sesshoumaru parted ways with Inuyasha, leaving him behind in Yori's ramen restaurant as the two continued their idle conversation. He exited the warm restaurant, feeling instantly the refreshing cool air on his skin. Night had descended over the demon city and the neon lights were out, being no different to Tokyo with its bustling atmosphere.

His eyes traveled to different smiling faces, seeing all of the inhabitants of the city walking by. Few were of pure demon blood like him or Yori, though he realized in this day and age, the new generations cared very little about what their ancestors had held in high regard.

"Lord Sesshoumaru?"

A soft shy, feminine voice called out to him, freeing him from his self-induced trance. He turned around, seeing a young demoness bowing to him.

"Thank you for your help!"

He quirked a brow in confusion. Her scent was fairly familiar, but it wasn't until she straightened did he recognize her.

"The half-demoness," he murmured, "Shiori."

She nodded again, a faint blush stained her cheeks. "I've…Shippou mentioned how you've helped us. I've wanted to thank you before, but the opportunity—"

"I did not do a thing," he interrupted her. "The fox did away with your attackers."

Her face darkened for a split second, but just as quickly she recomposed herself. She shook her head, smiling softly. "You saved Shippou, and I am forever grateful to you, milord."

He was silent for a moment, and then he repeated his earlier words, "I did not do a thing."

"Even so," Shiori started, biting her bottom lip, "My shop is nearby. I would like to present you with a show of gratitude, if you would indulge me, milord."

Unable to reject her persistent pleas, Sesshoumaru agreed to follow the young half-demoness to her daifuku shop.


	70. Daifuku

**Author's Note:** I hope you've all enjoyed the daily updates! I'll now return to my previous schedule of new updates every Thursday…though we might be on the sporadic side, depending on how busy/tired I am.

 **Word Count:** 163

* * *

 **Chapter 70: Daifuku**

* * *

Sesshoumaru entered the little daifuku shop, following after Shiori. He was met with the sight of glass cases displaying a wide array of the Japanese confection, neatly arranged in a spectrum of colors from light to dark.

There were two employees in the shop who bowed politely to Shiori when she entered before they turned their attention back to the waiting customers.

"Any particular favorites, milord?" Shiori asked from behind the counter, smiling as she readied a paper box.

Sesshoumaru didn't particularly care for sweets, but he had agreed to allow the female to show her gratitude out of chivalrous reasons. He lowered his eyes to the case, looking at the different colors.

When his eyes landed on the plain white daifuku, he remembered a certain sorceress enjoying the confection, smiling as she encouraged him to eat the one Shippou had thrown at him. "The white ones," he said, slowly shifting his eyes down the case before adding softly, "And the pink ones."


	71. Misunderstanding

**Word Count:** 765

* * *

 **Chapter 71: Misunderstanding**

* * *

Sesshoumaru returned to the shop many days later, finding the usual inhabitants back from whatever trip they had been on. To his surprise, everyone seemed extra joyful. His left hand gripped tightly the handle of the box Shiori had given him full of the daifuku she made.

"Yo, look at this good boy waiting for us to return home," Shippou remarked, earning an instant glare from Sesshoumaru.

"What a trip!" Kagome exclaimed from her place on the sofa. She rolled over, laying on her stomach casually as she looked up at Sesshoumaru. She cupped her face in her hands, smiling widely. "Look at this glow. Doesn't my skin look so wonderful, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"She snuck away for a spa trip," Shippou whispered a little too closely to Sesshoumaru's ear for his liking.

Kagome frowned. "I was _invited_ to a hot spring. And I do recall a certain fox demon enjoyed being pampered a little too much than he deserves."

Shippou protested, but Sesshoumaru interrupted the fox's outrage. "'Invited'?"

Kagome nodded vigorously. "Jinenji, an old friend."

Sesshoumaru frowned upon hearing the male name, though it seemed Kagome didn't notice his demeanor change as she continued chattering on excitedly.

"His family has so many wonderful medicinal herbs, and their family hot spring does _wonder_ on a body."

"The fact that he's so in love with her doesn't seem to bother her one bit," Shippou said drily, unaware of Sesshoumaru's growing jealousy.

Kagome stared back, aghast. "Shippou! Are you implying what I think you are implying?"

"Hmm, that you use your feminine wiles to score free hot spring trips whenever you please?" He rummaged through the bookcase, looking for his hidden stash of sweets.

"I…I don't do that," Kagome said feebly. Sensing Sesshoumaru's intense stare, she repeated firmly, " _I don't!_ "

"Aha!" Shippou cried out in delight, finding a tin cylinder case behind a Hungarian-to-French dictionary full of lollipops. He pulled a raspberry-flavored lollipop out of the case, removed the wrapper, and instantly popped the candy into his mouth. "Do too."

"I don't!" Kagome got up on the couch, kneeling forward to face Sesshoumaru. "Please don't misunderstand, Lord Sesshoumaru! Shippou is just being a troublemaker."

Sesshoumaru sat down on the empty space next to Kagome. "It is a trivial matter," he said, though strangely, he felt embers of jealousy still simmering inside. He slowly handed her the box he was carrying.

"What's this?" she looked at the box curiously. As she was about to open the box, Shippou cried out in anger.

"That's from Shiori's shop!" he stomped his way over to the sofa, forgetting the lollipop he was eating. "Why the hell were you at her shop?!"

Sesshoumaru looked coolly at the enraged fox. "She had invited me."

Shippou sputtered.

Kagome giggled and then smiled smugly at her demon assistant. "Are you, perhaps, _jealous_ , my dear assistant?"

"Of this old dog? Hell no!" Shippou crossed his arms over his chest, turning away from the two figures on the sofa. "She wouldn't be into some old dude like him!"

"Likewise, I am not attracted to females as young as her," Sesshoumaru said, "But my business at her shop had nothing to do with whatever lewd thoughts you may be having, fox."

"L-lewd?!"

"She wanted to show her gratitude for what had happened in Chiba weeks ago."

"O-oh," Shippou said quietly, his anger evaporated in an instant. His tails lowered to the ground in shame. "Yeah, that sounds like something she would do."

"Oh!" Kagome interrupted the conversation. "They're exactly like the ones we ate before." Kagome looked up, surprised to see Shippou leaving the room. "Shippou? Don't you want one?"

"Uh, no thanks," he answered, voice weaker than normal. He forced a smile on his face, "He didn't get any of the matcha ones, so why bother?"

The fox demon quickly left the room before Kagome could stop him. She looked down at the box in her lap. "I think he still feels bad about what had happened."

"We have all been at our worst at some point or another," Sesshoumaru said, slipping a hand over one of Kagome's. "How we carry on afterwards will be a testament of our strength."

She didn't look up, her eyes focused on his hand. "What if…" she murmured, distracted, "What if you're always reliving that moment?"

He looked at her curiously, unsure of what her words were suggesting, but Kagome quickly spoke up, holding the box out to Sesshoumaru. "L-let's eat! These look really delicious, Lord Sesshoumaru!"

He reached for the pink daifuku, but his mind continued to see Kagome's solemn expression.


	72. Midnight

**Author's Note:** Oops. I lied. Oh, well. Life sucks, but here's chapter 72. Next chapter is when life is not kicking my ass.

 **Word Count:** 271

* * *

 **Chapter 72: Midnight**

* * *

It was past midnight, Sesshoumaru realized as he opened his eyes, seeing the room pitch black, though it only took a few seconds for him to realize that this was not his home. He was still in the Sorceress' parlor, asleep on her sofa, apparently.

How peculiar, he thought.

He didn't remember when he had fallen asleep. It was so unlike him to be so forgetful and unguarded. As his sight adjusted to the dark room, Sesshoumaru noticed a strange warmth close to his body. He looked down, surprised to see Kagome asleep in his arms, though the feeling was not entirely unpleasant to him. It had been a fair while since he last had a warm body close to him like this.

He was puzzled, though, to see tears streaming down her cheeks. He rarely, if ever, had seen her as anything other than cheerful or pleasant. He wondered what she could be dreaming about to cause her to cry like this.

Unconsciously, he reached out to her, brushing away the tears with his thumb. He stilled, making out a soft, sad sigh:

"I miss you."

Across the room, the sound of the clock hanging on the wall continued ticking away by the second, but her words continued to resonate loudly in his ears, stirring the still burning flames of jealousy from earlier in the day. As Sesshoumaru brushed away the hair strewn across Kagome's wet cheek, he wondered when exactly he started feeling this way about her.

"Who are you exactly, Sorceress," he unknowingly murmured aloud before wondering silently, _And why do you have this infuriating hold over me?_


	73. Fever

**Word Count:** 700

* * *

 **Chapter 73: Fever**

* * *

It took all of Sesshoumaru's self-control to not crush his mug of coffee to smithereens.

He had woken up alone on the sofa, though the memory of the night before was still quite vivid in his mind. He remembered the warmth of her body close to his. He remembered the soft, almost inaudible sleepy sigh. He remembered the long lingering jealousy that kept him awake afterwards. From that point on, he didn't know when he had fallen asleep, when Kagome had woken, and how eventually, he found himself standing in the kitchen listening to her and Shippou bicker incessantly.

"…and let's not forget the prince who almost stopped his arranged marriage to marry _you_ out of gratitude for healing his sick sister!"

"Oh, please, Shippou, it is not like I asked him to!"

"You must admit, that sort of thing happened far too often."

Kagome rolled her eyes. Instinctively, she placed her hands on her hips, as she tutted disapprovingly at her demon assistant. "Let's not exaggerate, my dear Shippou."

Taking her words as a challenge, Shippou proceeded to number off all encounters: "There was the farmer who offered you his firstborn son's hand in marriage after you brought rain to the village, the samurai who was willing to forsake his duties to run away with you after you nursed him back to health, that dirty ol' mayor who 'offered' to take you as his seventh mistress—"

Kagome huffed in indignation. "I've never once accepted any of their so-called offers!"

"Yeah," Shippou snorted in genuine agreement. "But your good deeds did attract some weird offers."

"If that was the case, then I owe Miroku a child for saving me!"

" _What?_ "Sesshoumaru belatedly realized he had interrupted Kagome and Shippou's conversation with a slightly embarrassing outburst.

"Relax, he was a monk," Shippou said, adding dubiously, "I think."

Shippou's brisk comment did nothing to alleviate Sesshoumaru's jealousy, and if anything, it seemed to make him all the more aware of how this mysterious woman seemed to have him ensnared in her charms unlike any other females he had encountered in the past. He hated this pathetic side of him, hated the feeling of being so easily bothered by the mere mentions of male names and prospective lovers she may or may not have had.

"Lord Sesshoumaru?" He was startled out of his thought when he felt a cool hand reached for his forehead. The very woman who had reduced him this laughable state was standing on her toes, her small frame tried with all her might to feel his forehead. "You look warm. Are you feeling alright? I'd brought home some of Jinenji's medicine, perhaps you should take some—"

He stepped back suddenly, unintentionally causing her to lose her balance and stumbled forward. Instinctively, he wrapped an arm around her waist, steadying her balance and holding her close to his chest. Once he realized what had happened, he pulled away more carefully this time, making sure that she was steady on her feet. Her dark hair was disheveled from when her face was pressed to his chest, and her wide blue eyes looked up at him with such curiosity, making her appear so small and vulnerable, he felt a growing urge to steal her away.

"I'm fine," he said suddenly, too aware now of his growing affection for her. He knew his next lie was too obvious, but it did not stop him from voicing it aloud anyway. He'd just needed to find a way to leave her shop and gathered his thoughts from all of the sudden realizations. "I'd just remembered I needed to meet with Inuyasha about a recent conflict."

"Oh, okay," she said, her usual smile returning again. "Goodbye then, Lord Sesshoumaru."

He nodded once and quickly left, opening the door just as a startled human man entered. He paid no heed to the new individual, briskly walking down the steps of the shop. Behind him, he heard Shippou approaching the entrance and greeting the man with the usual cryptic introduction. The fox demon's voice was loud, but none of his words seemed to registered in Sesshoumaru's mind, being drowned by the deafening pounding of his own heart.


End file.
